Bovine progressive degenerative myeloencephalopathy (BPDME), also known as weaver syndrome, is a genetic disorder of cattle, characterized by hindlimb weakness and
ataxia
Ataxia is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in eye movements. Ataxia is a clinical manifestation indicating dysfunction of ...
. It has been observed in male and female
Brown Swiss cattle
The Brown Swiss or American Brown Swiss is an American breed of dairy cattle. It derives from the traditional triple-purpose Braunvieh ("Swiss Brown") of the Alpine region of Europe, but has diverged substantially from it. It was selectively ...
. It is known as 'weaver syndrome' because of the animals' 'weaving' gait while walking. BPDME is a genetic autosomal recessive disorder.
The signs of BPDME are first noticed in cattle aged 5–8 months, and include a weaving gait, along with weakness and lack of voluntary coordination of the muscles of the hind limbs (known as
ataxia
Ataxia is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in eye movements. Ataxia is a clinical manifestation indicating dysfunction of ...
).
Signs progressively worsen, and by 18–36 months of age, the animal is unable to rise.
Affected animals are euthanized for welfare reasons.
References
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Bovine diseases
Genetic animal diseases