Congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia and dyskeratosis in Australian Poll Hereford calves

Abstract

Congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia (CDA) is a heterogeneous group of rare genetic disorders that in humans is characterised by ineffective haematopoiesis with morphological abnormalities in erythroid precursor cells and secondary iron overload. In the 1990s, a syndrome of CDA with dyskeratosis and progressive alopecia was reported in Poll Hereford calves in Canada and the USA. We report the clinical and pathological findings in two Poll Hereford calves with this syndrome from separate properties in South Australia. The animals had a variably severe anaemia, associated with abnormal nucleated red blood cells in peripheral blood, and large numbers of rubricytes and metarubricytes with a characteristic nuclear ultrastructure in the bone marrow. Both calves were born with a wiry hair coat and a progressively 'dirty-faced' appearance associated with hyperkeratosis and dyskeratosis (apoptosis).

Alopecia in Belgian Blue crossbred calves: a case series

“…Because the dams of the affected calves were of different breeds (BS, HF, RH) and because at least two different BB bulls had been used, the possibility of a genetic defect was placed low on our list of possible causes. A very similar skin condition to the one described exists as an autosomal recessive hereditary form known as congenital progressive alopecia, but occurs concurrently with anaemia in Polled Hereford calves [10, 15, 16]. However, this disease is progressive in nature and affects calves of the same sire [17].…”

In this issue – December 2012

“…Congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia (CDA) is a heterogeneous group of rare genetic disorders in humans, characterised by ineffective haematopoiesis with morphological abnormalities in erythroid precursor cells and secondary iron overload. This report describes the findings in two Poll Hereford calves with this syndrome from separate properties in South Australia …”