Identifying Loci Associated With Bovine Corona Virus Infection and Bovine Respiratory Disease in Dairy and Feedlot Cattle

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is associated with respiratory and enteric infections in both dairy and beef cattle worldwide. It is also one of a complex of pathogens associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD), which affects millions of cattle annually. The objectives of this study were to identify loci and heritability estimates associated with BCoV infection and BRD in dairy calves and feedlot cattle. Dairy calves from California (n = 1,938) and New Mexico (n = 647) and feedlot cattle from Colorado (n = 915) and Washington (n = 934) were tested for the presence of BCoV when classified as BRD cases or controls following the McGuirk scoring system. Two comparisons associated with BCoV were investigated: (1) cattle positive for BCoV (BCoV+) were compared to cattle negative for BCoV (BCoV−) and (2) cattle positive for BCoV and affected with BRD (BCoV+BRD+) were compared to cattle negative for BCoV and BRD (BCoV−BRD−). The Illumina BovineHD BeadChip was used for genotyping, and genome-wide association analyses (GWAA) were performed using EMMAX (efficient mixed-model association eXpedited). The GWAA for BCoV+ identified 51 loci (p < 1 × 10−5; 24 feedlot, 16 dairy, 11 combined) associated with infection with BCoV. Three loci were associated with BCoV+ across populations. Heritability estimates for BCoV+ were 0.01 for dairy, 0.11 for feedlot cattle, and 0.03 for the combined population. For BCoV+BRD+, 80 loci (p < 1 × 10−5; 26 feedlot, 25 dairy, 29 combined) were associated including 14 loci across populations. Heritability estimates for BCoV+BRD+ were 0.003 for dairy, 0.44 for feedlot cattle, and 0.07 for the combined population. Several positional candidate genes associated with BCoV and BRD in this study have been associated with other coronaviruses and respiratory infections in humans and mice. These results suggest that selection may reduce susceptibility to BCoV infection and BRD in cattle.