New genomic test for assessing bovine congestive heart failure risk is launched

Photo: PHOTOLIFESTYLE/Adobe Stock

A new test for assessing bovines’ genetic predisposition to bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) has been released. The launch of the genomic test—Igenity BCHF—is aimed at improving the overall heart health standards among bovines, according Neogen Corporation, a food safety company behind the test’s development.¹

"When we look at the impact of Igenity BCHF on the industry, it is helping to genetically quantify the risk for [BCHF] and progress herds away from this growing cattle health and welfare concern," Kirk Ramsey, DVM, professional services veterinarian with Neogen, said in a company release.¹ "Igenity BCHF is the first genomic test of its kind and is the first step in capturing the reason why congestive heart failure is occurring in these young calves and late-fed cattle."

In the western Great Plains of the United States and Canada, BCHF has been increasingly recognized as an emerging condition of cattle, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), with reports on BCHF occurrence showing a doubling of the condition every 10 years.^2,3 The condition, marked by pulmonary hypertension that ultimately leads to right ventricular failure, is both untreatable and fatal.²

In recent years, BCHF has grown in prevalence at the cow/calf and feedlot levels.³ Research has shown that a genetic factor makes cattle more prone to developing heart failure at some point during the feeding period.³ Currently, little is known about how to decrease the likelihood of heart failure in cattle genetically at risk for BCHF.³

According to the USDA,² outbreaks of BCHF are happening in operations that are feeding “well-managed, high genetic merit cattle.” The disease is the most expensive health-related issue for some producers, according to the federal agency. In individual operations, losses related to the condition surpass $250,000 annually and outpace losses from bovine respiratory diseases.² “Reducing the impact of BCHF is a high priority for the cattle industry,” wrote the USDA in the agency’s Agriculture Research Service web page.²

The Igenity BCHF test scores an animal’s genetic proneness for the disease on a 1 to 10 scale, with 1 being lowest risk of disease development and 10 representing highest risk. There is an approximate 3.5% difference in the expected incidence rate for the disease between each score.

"Igenity BCHF is a revolutionary genomic test designed to assess an animal's genetic predisposition to heart failure," Victor Pedrosa, PhD, director of technical genomics and innovation at Neogen, said in a release.¹ "The test results directly correlate with the percentage of BCHF risk an animal carries and could pass on to their progeny, serving as a genetic indicator of the likelihood of disease development."

References

1. Neogen introduces Igenity BCHF to help industry mitigate bovine congestive heart failure risk. News release. Neogen Corporation. January 21, 2025. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neogen-introduces-igenity-bchf-to-help-industry-mitigate-bovine-congestive-heart-failure-risk-302355664.html
2. Bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) in feedlot cattle. US Department of Agriculture. April 3, 2024. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/clay-center-ne/marc/bchf/bchf-main/
3. Herman J. Congestive heart failure in cattle—a learning curve. Beef Quality Assurance. January 17, 2024. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.bqa.org/about-us/newsroom/congestive-heart-failure-in-cattle-a-learning-curve