HERITABILITY OF EPILEPTIC SEIZURES IN THE BELGIAN TERVUEREN

Survey data were collected on the incidence of epileptic seizures in 9 97 Belgian tervuerens. The heritability of this disorder was estimated as 0.77 (with a 95 per cent confidence interval spanning from 0.65 to 0.88) using a Bayesian analysis in an ordered categorical threshold m odel. Single locus models do not appear adequate as an explanation for this inherited seizure disorder. The high heritability estimate sugge sts that breeders can wage a successful battle against this disorder b y breeding unaffected individuals, particularly those from families wi th no history of seizures.