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Cloned Suzi falls to disease
14 Jul 2004
Australia's first cloned dairy cow, Suzi, has died. She died last month of acute mastitis soon after calving. Suzi was born in 2000 as part of cloning and breeding technologies research conducted by the Dairy Co-operative Research Centre.
Although pathological tests revealed no other problems with Suzi, it's believed that cloned animals may develop complications such as lower immunity to disease and infection. Although many healthy cloned animals have been born and raised worldwide, health problems may develop later in life.
The Dairy CRC said it's committed to discovering ways to overcome current difficulties encountered with cloning, so that the result will be healthy and completely normal offspring. The CRC's cloning research aims to give dairy and livestock industries access to advanced breeding technologies, which will help boost productivity and increase farm and industry profits.
Weekly Times, 14/7/04, page 7.
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