It's important now to clarify the disease for which the Animal Health Trust ("AHT") in the UK tests. This is also the same test being used in the US by the University of Missouri.
It is NOT, as previously thought, Progressive Retinal Atrophy ("PRA") -- it IS an 'inherited cone-rod dystrophy.' Hence the name "cord1."
Here is a note from Cathryn Mellersh, a researcher with the AHT:
'The situation is that MLHDs and MSHDs carry an identical mutation that causes an inherited cone-rod dystrophy. This condition was previously described as a form of PRA. However, in all forms of PRA that have been studied to date the rod photoreceptors degenerate before the cone photoreceptors. Very recent work, published in September 2007, has confirmed that the dachshund disease is in fact a cone-rod dystrophy and therefore not a true PRA. The condition has therefore been termes cord1, for cone-rod degeneration. Few canine cone-rod dystrophies have been studied in depth. Work with human cone-rod dystrophy patients has indicated the condition can have a late age of onset, and that the levels of visual impairment can be variable between patients.
However, we know that the cord1 mutation can lead to blindness, in both MLHDs and MSHDs, and we stress that testing breeding animals for the cord1 mutation should be a priority, and that matings between two carriers should be avoided.
In summary, MLHDs and MSHDs have the same condition - it used to be called PRA but now we know it is in fact a cone-rod dystrophy. The DNA test offered by the AHT tests for the mutation that causes this condition - and even although the test has been described as a test for PRA people who have used the test DO NOT need to have their dogs re-tested. If you have either a MLHD or a MSHD that you intend to breed with you should definately have it DNA tested, regardless of its country of origin, or the origins of any of its ancestors.'