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| - Last Updated on February 14, 2023 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
A social media post claims that various animals, such as tigers, owls, etc., can also suffer from Down syndrome. We fact-checked and found this claim to be False.
The Claim
A video on Instagram with the title ‘Animals With Down Syndrome’. The video furthermore slideshow images of what was said to be a tiger and an owl with Down syndrome.
Fact Check
What is Down syndrome?
Down’s syndrome occurs when an abnormal cell division involving chromosome 21 leads to an extra partial or full chromosome 21. It can not be prevented. This extra genetic material is responsible for Down syndrome’s characteristic features and developmental problems.
According to the National Down Syndrome Society, maternal age is the only factor that has been linked to an increased chance of having a baby with down syndrome.
What causes Down Syndrome?
There are three types of Down syndrome, each caused by a different mechanism:
- Trisomy 21: This is the most common form of Down syndrome and occurs when there is an extra copy of chromosome 21 in every body cell.
- Mosaicism: In this form of Down syndrome, some cells have an extra copy of chromosome 21, while others have the normal 46 chromosomes.
- Translocation Down Syndrome: This form of Down syndrome occurs when a portion of chromosome 21 breaks off and attaches to another chromosome.
It is important to note that Down syndrome is not caused by anything the parents did or did not do, and it is not inherited in a predictable pattern. Rather, it is caused by a random event that occurs during the formation of the egg and sperm or at conception.
Can Down Syndrome be present in animals?
Down syndrome is a genetic condition that affects humans and is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. The condition is not seen in animals in the same way that it is seen in humans. But, animals can have genetic abnormalities of their own. However, there are some animal species in which similar genetic changes have been observed, leading to physical and behavioural abnormalities.
Since animals, such as apes, chimpanzees, etc., possess a DNA similar to that of humans, there can be similarities in the genetic abnormalities, such as Great apes (Pongidae) possess a chromosome similar to human chromosome 21 (HSA21), whose trisomy was described in both chimpanzee and orangutan.
Additionally, a trisomy of chromosome 16 has been found in laboratory mice, but it is not as similar to that of Down syndrome.
Long ago, in 1999, researchers also described in the journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica a case report of a Hereford calf born with a case of trisomy 22.
Similarly, research on cats found a rare chromosomal abnormality in male cats for an extra chromosome that results in a condition similar to Klinefelter syndrome in humans or when a boy is born with an extra copy of the X chromosome.
Our veterinary expert, Dr. Vivek Arora, B.V.Sc. & AH, MIVIS, explains, “Animals, such as dogs don’t suffer from Down’s syndrome. However, there are certain chromosomal defects that can be present in animals, which are different from Down syndrome.”
It is also worth noting that animals can suffer from other genetic conditions and health problems that can cause similar symptoms to those seen in people with Down syndrome. However, these conditions are not the same as Down syndrome and are not caused by the same genetic mechanisms.
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