A message from the lovely people of the Bannasch Laboratory at U C Davis arrived today.
"The Connemara community has been incredibly supportive, and I know you
have worked extraordinarily hard at getting DNA to the lab. Your
efforts and the generosity of many owners has been very effective, and
we are no longer in need of control samples."
This is a real kudos to the people who got in behind this project, both
with donations to fund the work, and those who at their own expense,
rallied to the call and submitted blood samples from their ponies. The
research has come such a long way in a very short space of time (from
the scientific research perspective). This would never have happened so
quickly without you all.
Please note that samples from additional confirmed HWSS affected ponies will still be accepted.
To anyone who wishes to send blood samples from outside of the USA from affected ponies, you are asked to wait until further notice whilst the import permits are renewed. Once the permits have come through, a notice to this effect will be posted on the blog.
Once again, thank you to all of the people who have made this research a 'happening thing'.