Late Onset Progressive Retinal Atrophy (LOPRA)

[Gillian Kennedy-Sloane]

Important Announcement - please see home page www.seisc.co.uk

[eva ciechonska]

I have been told that the test for PRA rcd-4 will be available from 1st August 2011.  Can this be categorically confirmed ?Good news if that is correct!!!

[Frances McKimm]

Yes Eva its true, we'll be able to download the forms from the AHT website and send them in with the blood samples; think it will be £48 ^per dog as with the Gordons; 

Now time for the clubs to decide a policy to follow;  I fear we're going to have more carriers than we think!!

Perhaps an idea to follow the example of the English Cocker Spaniels - as the KC is now doing for the Gordon Setters; no point in panicking;  Just an idea.

[Margaret Sierakowski]

Does anybody know if the new test is going to be tried on IRWS with LOPRA to see if it is the same gene as in red Irish Setters? or maybe it has been tried already?

[Margaret Sierakowski]

Thanks , I will phone them and ask. If it is the same gene in IRWS, I would be glad to start testing some of my dogs

[eva ciechonska]

Does anyone know the statistics for LOPRA in Gordons?  I am sure someone has mentioned it somewhere but I have looked and failed to find it.  At least we will soon be able to find out the level of it in Irish.  Let us hope it is not as far reaching as people think it might be.

 

[Susan Stone]

Excellent news! I am sure te AHT will be overrun...

According to the AHT up to 50% of Gordon Setters are expected to be carriers (seee this text here) and this pattern seems to be confirmed in the statistics of tested dogs in the breed in Germany done by the 'Verein für Setter und Pointer'.

 

[Margaret Sierakowski]

The most recent list of test results for LOPRA in Gordons is at

http://gordon-setter-association.co.uk/gs_breed_council_results.htm

 

I havent counted them exactly, but it looks like about half of the tested Gordons are clear , and about about half are either carriers or affected.

Notable is that some of the dogs who were initially thought to be clear after testing by BVA eye panel specialists, have turned out to be affected by DNA test

So dont rely on the current BVA eye tests by inspection  to give a reliable result

[Margaret Sierakowski]

Just spoke on the phone to one of the researchers at the AHT. The form of LOPRA in IRWS is NOT the same as in Irish Setters (they have tried the Irish Setter DNA test on some affected and clear IRWS) so we wont be able to use the same DNA test unfortunately

[Susan Stone]

I am sorry to hear that, Margaret. That is unfortunate. At the same time I think what you are experiencing in the R&W goes to show that we with Irish Reds should not just rely on the DNA test. There could be other problems out there and they need to be caught before they become a problem. So I do think we need to get our dog's eyes checked regularly.

[Rosemary Deacon]

There is no mention of the PRArcd-4 test on the AHT website. Where has the information come from that the test will be available from 1st August?I don't think any of the breed clubs have mentioned a date?

[Viviane Dietens]

I have the information from AHT.

This mutation test is currently available for the Gordon setter breed ( www.aht.org.uk/genetics_prarcd4.html ), and will become available to the Irish setter through our genetic services team after August 1st.

After the release date the test can be purchased via the service teams online webshop ( www.ahtdnatesting.co.uk ).

 

[eva ciechonska]

Thank you Viviane.  If it is assumed that as much as 50% of Gordon Setters are carriers it will take some years and careful breeding to clear this.  Let us hope we don't have the same percentage in IS.  If we do then I am sure we will remain level headed about this.