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EPIDAL - what is new? |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on 06.09.2009 at 21:38:25 |
The status of the EPIDAL project is neither standing still nor going straight forward from the scientific point of view.
Three Dalmatian breed clubs in Europe have asked us for help in order to inform their members about the research and the disease. Some more very useful and important blood samples have been donated by Dalmatian breeders and Dalmatian owners inside Europe, but still no financial support has been given/arranged.
Although the genetic research is sponsored by very many institutes and the European Union, one must keep in mind that the goal is to identify as many disease genes in as many different breed as possible. The research team therefore has to prefer those breeds which have not just a much bigger amount of blood samples collected but also support their projects financially. The less research fund money is used in one breed, the more breeds and diseases can be examined and identified. And the support of other Finnish breeds for this genetic research is extremely huge.
We have been lately contacted by several Dalmatian breeders inside Europe, who clearly confirmed the need of a gene-test and we very much believe, that the awareness of the chances given now in genetic research has been increased very much during the last few months with more and more epilepsy cases arising. We again would like to ask every owner and breeder of a Dalmatian that is suffering from epilepsy to donate blood to Hannes Lohi´s research team, as well as from healthy parents/siblings other close relatives. The samples already donated are not lost, they are stored and can be used whenever needed!
It would be now a good time for the Dalmatian breed clubs to arrange some financial support (for example via match shows and other activities) and it is up to every single breeder and dog owner to show their interest for such a gene test towards the breed clubs.
If You need any kind of support or advice how to support this project, do not hesitate to contact us.
Your EPIDAL Team
Email:epidal@dalmatiner.org