Once again, I have employed considerable effort 😎 in converting a complicated study report about the predisposition of the Persian cat breed to getting ringworm, into a quick and easy read, in the form of an infographic. The idea is to make these studies available to everyone; especially those involved in breeding cats including Persians. And also, to the general public who are considering adopting a Persian. The Persian is predisposed to severe and chronic fungal infections particularly ringworm. The ultimate cause is inherited genes. The Peke-face Persian does inherit a lot of health problems sadly. I believe that the cat fancy can do a lot more to clean up this mess.
Severe fungal skin disease in Persian cats by Michael BroadThe Peke-face Persian is perhaps the paradigm example of extreme selective breeding under the auspices of the cat fancy resulting in known inherited disease such as PKD and cognitive deficits due to hydrocephalus. There are other health issues.
I am sorry if this sounds like lecturing and badgering but it has to be like that because for too long the ever-popular Peke-face Persian has been plagued with health issues.
It surprises me that the cat fancy does not have the courage to bite the bullet of outcrossing and ‘culling’ of Persians with known health problems rather than continuing to breed from them.
Regarding the information in the infographic the study author states: “Our findings suggest changes to calprotectin may affect pathogen specificity and engineered calprotectin could be considered as a novel therapy for dermatophytosis in humans and animals.” “Engineered calprotectin” refers to calprotectin that has been modified or designed through scientific techniques, typically in a laboratory, to alter its natural properties or functions. This type of engineering is usually done to enhance the protein’s effectiveness, study its mechanisms in detail, or adapt it for specific applications.
