Research overview: immunogenetics, MHC diversity and disease resistance in felids

The diversity of immune genes, especially the major histocompatibility complex, strongly influences a population’s ability to resist infectious disease. This overview surveys research on felid immunogenetics, from the extreme uniformity of cheetahs and the depleted diversity of inbred Florida panthers to the consequences for vulnerability to pathogens like coronavirus and FeLV. It examines how MHC variation shapes immune recognition, why low diversity can leave whole populations susceptible to a single strain, and how genetic restoration efforts aim to rebuild adaptive potential. The synthesis connects conservation genetics to disease epidemiology. It aims to help readers understand why genetic diversity is not an abstract conservation goal but a concrete determinant of how wild cat populations withstand the pathogens they encounter, linking inbreeding directly to disease risk.