Jeffrey, a three-year-old meerkat at the Stone Zoo in Massachusetts, was a picture of health in the early spring of 2015. He played briskly with his brothers and wowed zoo guests from his typical observation spot. But in April, it was found that Jeffrey was feeble and hardly conscious. After receiving rigorous medical attention and the best efforts of chief veterinarian Eric Baitchman, Jeffrey passed away from heart failure eight days later. Jeffrey's brothers suffered the same fate over the following three years.
A Closer Look at Meerkat Cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a severe illness that affects all three meerkats. It causes the heart muscle to weaken and expand, making it more difficult for the heart to pump blood properly. Baitchman had never seen DCM in meerkats before, but since meerkats in other zoos were said to have comparable ailments, he started to assume a hereditary basis.
Baitchman's research revealed a disturbing trend. Pathologist Michael Garner attested that deformed meerkat hearts were not an isolated occurrence. Hearts that should have weighed a walnut had swelled to the size of huge apricots over the years. According to Garner's 2017 analysis, heart conditions were responsible for approximately 25% of meerkat deaths in the U.S. Zoo pathology database, with DCM being everywhere.
Genetic Research and Its Challenges
Believing the illness was inherited, Baitchman collaborated with genetics specialists to gather and examine tissue samples from meerkats housed in American zoos. The heredity of DCM is evident, even though the precise genes associated with the disorder are still unknown: if one meerkat parent has DCM, about half of their progeny will also have the ailment.
This research has implications that go beyond meerkats. In humans, DCM is also a frequent cardiomyopathy and a primary reason for heart transplants. Even with available medications, heart failure eventually strikes many people.
Although only approximately one-third of human DCM cases have detectable genetic alterations, genetic factors are thought to be involved in most instances. With human family sizes becoming smaller, it is becoming less practical to trace genetic mistakes via large family trees using traditional approaches; however, fresh insights can be gained from researching inbred animal populations such as meerkats.
Animal genomics has already proven valuable in human medicine. Research on dog genomes has enhanced our understanding of respiratory diseases, pain disorders, cancers, congenital disabilities, and sleep disorders in humans. Similarly, studies on rhesus macaques have provided knowledge about genes influencing alcohol consumption and endometriosis. Research on cat genetics may even lead to breakthroughs in treating Tay-Sachs disease.
However, there are no guarantees that meerkat genetics will reveal direct correlations to human health. Even though some dog breeds with DCM have been thoroughly studied, the genes associated with DCM in dogs show little overlap with those in humans. Veterinary cardiologist Katie Nadolny emphasizes the complexity of these genetic investigations.
Meerkats' heart health is less understood than that of dogs, especially in wild populations. Rachel Johnston from the Broad Institute highlights the lack of baseline data on wild meerkat hearts. Wild meerkats face diverse challenges, making comparisons with captive ones difficult.
Researchers like Jenny Tung from the Max Planck Institute are studying wild meerkat genetics, noting many die from diseases, predation, or conflicts. This research aims to differentiate the health of captive and wild meerkats, potentially saving zoo meerkats from heart failure and advancing both veterinary and human medicine through cross-species genetic research.
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