Bógkreppa is a hereditary genetic defect in sheep in Iceland. The defect is likely to be recessive, meaning that in order for lambs to be born with the symptoms of rickets, they must receive the defective gene from both parents. This means that the genetic defect has been hidden for years in the Icelandic treasury and then unexpectedly pops up.
Matís is involved in a project that aims to find a genetic marker that could be used to diagnose the defect in heterozygous individuals. If such a genetic marker were found, it would be possible to eliminate the genetic defect from Icelandic cattle and ensure that it does not enter insemination centers.
The research project is funded by the Professional Council for Sheep Breeding, led by the University of Iceland's Institute of Pathology at Keldum, and in addition to Matís, RML is involved in the project.
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