The more I read about Spiroplasma, the more likely it seems to be a causative agent. I would like to see more inquiry (which takes funding) along those lines.
And just for the record, I am a geologist, and do not have any interest in the allocation of research funding beyond wanting to be able to go deer hunting without any reservations.
I'm going to bookmark this thread. You've got an interesting discussion going and I hope it continues.