Angus Australia has now received confirmation from Dr Jon Beever that he developed a DNA test for Contractural Arachnodactyly (CA) (formerly known as Fawn Calf Syndrome).
Our current understanding is that the current CA test that Dr Beever and his team at the University of Illinois has developed is more complex and time consuming to run than the AM and NH tests he developed in 2008 and 2009. Hence, the cost of running this test will be significantly higher – potentially as much as US$100. We understand that Dr Beever is continuing to conduct further research which may simplify the test (and thereby reduce the cost) in the future.
Dr Beever indicated that he plans to use the current test to screen several thousand prominent US animals for the CA mutation over the next few weeks. Once the results of these animals become available, Angus Australia plans to load these results on our database. These results as well as those of any Australian animals tested will become the basis of the first GeneProb analysis for CA.
