The Basenji Health Endowment, American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, and Dr. Gary S. Johnson of the University of Missouri would like to announce the availability of a linked marker DNA test for Fanconi syndrome, a renal disease that occurs in Basenjis. This test was developed as part of an ongoing research project to identify the cause of Fanconi syndrome and to eventually eradicate the disease by marker-assisted selective breeding. As with other linked marker tests, the current Fanconi syndrome test is not 100% reliable but is offered as an interim test to provide guidance to those who plan to breed their Basenjis during the 2007 breeding season. Work continues to find the precise genetic cause of Fanconi syndrome and to develop a completely reliable test. Although the test is available for all Basenjis enrolled in the Canine Phenome Project, owners who are not planning to breed their dogs this year are advised to wait until a completely reliable test becomes available. Funds from the Basenji Health Endowment and American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation have supported development of the interim linked marker test and are supporting the ongoing research.

The Fanconi syndrome linked marker test may be ordered through the Canine Phenome Project (CPP) at http://www.caninephenome.org starting Tuesday, July 17, at noon.

Owners can order the test by performing the following steps:

• Register the dog in the Canine Phenome Project
• Complete the four questionnaires (some questions can be left blank, but all questionnaires must have at least some questions answered.)
• Submit blood samples to the CPP. Dogs that have blood samples already submitted to the CPP do not need another sample. Instructions for sample shipping are on the test order form.
• Print off the test order form for each dog. The form is on the CPP web site in the section for each dog

To learn more about the Fanconi Linkage Test,
please visit the Basenji Health Endowment site!
http://www.basenjihealth.org/linkage-faq.html