The consideration of the descendance is indispensable in the preservation of endangered animal breeds.The authors compared mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequence in three descendant breeds of the extinct Zaupel sheep, firstly. Their investigation was carried out in order to prove the common origin of Waldschaf (Austria), Bovec sheep (Slovenia) and Cikta (Hungary).A total of 118 biological samples were taken from non-related representatives of the three breeds between 2015 and 2017. A newly designed primer pair was also used to amplify the segment (1180 bp) to be tested. The total number of haplotypes in the whole study population was 49. The majority of which fell into haplogroup B. The significant negative value of the Fu's Fs statistic (Fs statistic = −3.296, p = 0.013) based on haplotype frequencies demonstrated a moderate foreign gene flow. As a novel observation haplogroups C and D appeared in Cikta and Bovec sheep, respectively. The Tajima D-test value in the entire study population was −0.914 (p > 0.10), meaning that the separation of the three descendant breeds did not cause genetic drift, these are collectively in genetic equilibrium.The genetic information confirmed the common origin of the breeds known from the breed history.

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Background. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases are a unique group of neurodegenerative diseases of animals and humans, which always have a fatal outcome and are transmissible among animals of the same or different species. Scope and Approach. The aim of this work is to review some recent data about animal TSEs, with the emphasis on their causative agents and zoonotic potential, and to discuss why the surveillance and control measures over animal TSEs should remain in force. Key Findings and Conclusions. We still have incomplete knowledge of prions and prion diseases. Scrapie has been present for a very long time and controlled with varied success. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) emerged unnoticed, and spread within a few years to epidemic proportions, entailing enormous economic consequences and public concerns. Currently, the classical BSE epidemic is under control, but atypical cases do, and probably will, persist in bovine populations. The Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) of the cervids has been spreading in North America and has recently been detected in Europe. Preventive measures for the control of classical BSE remain in force, including the feed ban and removal of specified risk materials. However, active BSE surveillance has considerably decreased. In the absence of such preventive and control measures, atypical BSE cases in healthy slaughtered bovines might persist in the human food chain, and BSE prions might resurface. Moreover, other prion strains might emerge and spread undetected if the appropriate preventive and surveillance measures were to cease, leaving behind inestimable consequences.