There appears to be a yahoo group forming for posting reports about it Yahoo! Groups : whisper_syndrome
Posted on 03/02/2005 5:50:42 PM PST by mommadooo3
Please Read and Disseminate
If you are a veterinarian, please do not assume you know what this is until you have read this entire report.
Horses are dying of this infection in as little as 12 hours, and multiple deaths on a farm are the norm.
THIS IS NOT MOLD RELATED, IT IS CLEARLY BACTERIAL
What's new.... This is more alarming by the minute. The vast majority of the cases have occurred in the last 60 days and the area is increasing. The extent of this has grown to include Minnesota, Wyoming, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and up state New York.
I have updated this sheet so it can serve as a reference for vets. We now have 4 survivors and all were started on Naxcel early. The two cases that were started on Naxcel later than 12 hours took much longer to recover.
I no longer believe penicillin is effective.
Botulism is no longer a viable candidate, despite the fact that many of the symptoms are a match. There is no classic paralysis of the tongue despite the fact that there are problems chewing and swallowing and botulism is unlikely to respond to antibiotics except in the rare case where the bacteria are in the animal producing toxins. In that singular case, penicillin should be effective but apparently is not. It is also far too pervasive to be botulism. The latest guess is a new strain of salmonella or a new bacterial agent. Tests for salmonella have been negative, so if it is a new strain it does not fit the mold nor respond to standard therapy.
About 80% did feed round bales, and nasal discharge has been added to the symptoms, although it is only reported in a sizeable minority of cases, it might simply be overlooked.
Some of the cases reported to me today are such a close match that the only difference between them and my experience is the name of the horse! Frankly, I never expected anything like this response and am rapidly getting over my head here. I have now involved veterinarians and am pushing to have this studied across all of the affected states.
Obviously some of these deaths may be other disorders but the symptoms are unique enough to be very alarming. I have also been asked several questions which this message should answer. Let me say that I am not a veterinarian and am not trying to play one. I am now convincing the veterinary community to look into this seriously.
Symptoms and known facts..... I am calling this Whisper Syndrome until we know what it is. Here are updated facts.
This disease is devastating and kills very fast. You must catch it early and hit it with Naxcel, but do not take this to mean a vet does not need to be involved, just make sure he is given this information.
Stage 1 symptoms:
The most reliable early indication is inability to finish meals or complete lack of appetite. Strange uncharacteristic, isolated stumble, trip, stretching step, head gesture, or other apparently neurological sign. One common characteristic is a strange step that looks either like a stretch or the animal trying to jump over a nonexistent object.
These are often dismissed due to age or other factors. Turning head sideways while lying down in apparent peace (not looking at flanks like colic) is also classic. Pawing at floor of stall, and or circling. Change of habitual patterns of behavior / confusion. Some of these symptoms obviously mimic colic, but rolling and looking back at the sides is not common. They also mimic other disorders ranging from West Nile to salmonella.
Horse will commonly lay down to rest in apparent peace during early stage. If they do this at a time or place that is uncustomary, it is a warning. This may be accompanied by the turning of the head sideways. Nasal discharge has been present in several cases and it contains both fungi and bacteria. Bloody nasal discharge has been reported in one case with otherwise classic symptoms.
Lack of appetite or chewing but not swallowing. Aversion to water. May be attracted to water and then react as if shocked when the lips touch it. Water aversion may precede other symptoms because dehydration is seen early. No elevated temperature, and possibly a subnormal temperature (96-99.8 is typical). Temperature may spike for a short period in Stage 1 and then drop to normal or below normal. Blood work will show drop in lymphocytes. Heart rate may not be elevated, and may even be depressed in this stage. Some signs of colic (caused by colitis that results). It is often treated as colic, losing critical time and resulting in death. Even if your vet is relatively sure you are dealing with colic, have him or her run blood tests immediately or start Naxcel as a precaution until you know what you are dealing with.
Stage 2 symptoms:
Difficulty walking or refusal to move from a standing position. Difficulty getting up. Sudden collapse. Shivering.
Colitis is a symptom which can cause loose and even foul smelling stools. Bloody stool has been reported in one case which is consistent with severe colitis. Severe diarrhea is reported as is strange stools with small pellets. While not caused by parasites, the syndrome is probably aggravated by them.
White count may or may not elevate.
Stage 3 symptoms:
Shock, seizures, erratic breathing, death
Death results in 12 hours to 4 days. No horses reported have survived other than four who were given Naxcel. We are assuming here that survivors all had Whisper syndrome, but this is a reasonable assumption. Our two survivors occurred within weeks of each other and bracketed Whisper's death. The other two had absolutely classic symptoms. The occurrence among horses at the same facility at one to eight week intervals is common among horses who have died of the syndrome. Antibiotics are often not prescribed in time because of the lack of an elevated temperature. Blood work should be done immediately to determine if the antibiotics are indicated.
It strikes multiple horses at a single facility and in most but not all cases it is horses that are eating round bales. It does not appear to be communicable from horse to horse, at least directly. It may be communicated via feces but this is only speculation. It strikes where no horses have entered the population for months or years. It strikes in facilities that are well managed and clean. If there has been the death of one or more horses with these symptoms, it is crucial to watch the others very closely.
What Whisper Syndrome is:
It is probably bacterial in nature given its apparent response to Naxcel. It may also have a fungal component in the nasal cavity that is not understood. This component may simply be opportunistic. It is far deadlier than moldy hay (which is bad enough). It does not cause liver damage. Slight brain swelling may be evident at necropsy.
What we know Whisper syndrome is NOT:
It is not believed to be related to mold, although mold may be present.
It is not EPM.
It is not Rhino or EHV-1 (Equine Herpes Virus) There is a serious outbreak of EHV-1 in Virginia right now. please read http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05057/463330.stm
It is not West Nile virus.
It is not Rabies (although some symptoms look like rabies).
Where:
Owners in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and upstate New York, Minnesota, and Wyoming have all reported similar cases. In most facilities where multiple horses were present it has claimed three or four horses. The location of other cases is not yet determined and it may be more widely spread. There is an intense cluster in Virginia.
If you have seen these symptoms or if you lose or have lost a horse to similar symptoms please try to have a necropsy done by a state laboratory (not an individual vet), and please let me know right away. Hollandtech @ earthlink . net (remove spaces). Ask them to test for botulism (this requires injecting a mouse).
When:
The great majority of these deaths have been within the last 60 days! Some cases go back to the Summer of 2004, and one classic case dates back to 2002.
Here is what I will need to know:
Can we contact the attending veterinarian?
Can an investigative veterinarian contact you?
How many of the symptoms were present?
Were multiple horses at the facility and were others affected?
What treatment (exact medications) was given and what were the results?
Were round bales being fed?
Was anything fed from the ground?
Was feed tested?
Where did this occur and how recently.
Was a necropsy performed? Can we have access to it?
Thanks, and I pray I will not hear of more deaths.
There were two deaths last night and one this morning reported to me. Each reminds me of the terrible death of Whisper. Please cross post at will. You do not need my further permission to do so.
Thank you,
John Holland
We are asking our investigative, analytical and knowledgeable FReepers to help us figure this out.
COULD this possibly terror related, or a 'test run'?
Do you know (and trust) this "John Holland" that sent you the e-mail?
bttt
bttt
Freepers have their own Saddle Club? Cool!!!
I'm new here and an equine lover.
I will pass the info contained within your post along so that it gets around.
There appears to be a yahoo group forming for posting reports about it Yahoo! Groups : whisper_syndrome
Click the pic above to see our current thread... and let me and "PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain" know if you'd like to be on the ping list!
Instead of posting to an Internet discussion board, has "John Holland" notified his state vet and the USDA?
Would you ping your list? Maybe someone has heard something....thanks
I'm sure he has... he's been reporting it everywhere... there just haven't been media reports or anything... nothing more to go on. I dunno.
I've seen horses die of Equine Encephalitis and this sounds very much like it. However it surely would have been diagnosed as EE by now.
EE is neurological and causes the strange walking/stepping motions. As I am sure everyone know, it is transferred by mosquito vector.
I've asked to be on the ping list. I have two mares and a donkey.
Do you know who this man Holland is?
Don't know him, therefore don't trust him. I do know that the link to YAHOOO.com is bogus.
I don't... mommadoo and Duchess are members of listserves or message boards he's been reporting on.
I am skeptical but I have seen the laymen knows more than veterinarians once too often.
There isn't much to go on... My link at post six goes to the very new yahoo group about it.
Been wondering too... where would vets transmit information?
Welcome... and please jump right in on our chat thread by clicking the saddle club logo above!
(sorry for the caps, stupid computer)
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