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
Just checked back to see what was found out. Sounds like I was correct in my assumption (see post #43). We have had listeriosis hit our sheep flock a few times. It is picked up from the dirt, but not all will be affected by it. Usually the younger animals get it. We have tried to bring in new dirt over the top and build up the ground, etc., but that doesn't seem to get rid of it. Limeing the ground doesn't help either. Depends on the year, how many cases we see. It isn't transferred from animal to animal, so I wouldn't worry about cross contamination. The biggest thing for sheep is to keep all the mud puddles filled in, so that water doesn't stand and they drink from it and make sure they have plenty of free choice of salt and mineral blocks so they won't eat the dirt!!
"It's a hoax. I just got a call back from the AAEP and they had some consumers call about it, she was trying not to giggle, but said she knows of no vets who have seen it, treated it or called them about treating a horse with this mysterious disease. She did think it was an internet hoax."
I was just getting ready to say, "QUIT HORSING AROUND!" heehaw......someone's got their "ass" on the line. :)
I think you will be proved right on the money. So far, that best fits all the symptoms. :)
From: John Holland
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2005 8:30 PM
Subject: Whisper Syndrome Update
Whisper Syndrome update 3/4/05
What's New...
Unfortunately, so many people signed up for the yahoo group Whisper_Syndrome in a 48 hour period that it locked up and will has not shown new posts since this morning. You can still read old posts there. Since so many are concerned about this, I am posting this update on the original groups.
There has been wide spread speculation that Whisper Syndrome is a hoax and I have received many questioning emails, but these have dropped off as the word gets out. There is also some hysteria. Please don't panic. We are not talking about an epidemic here. I want everyone to be acutely aware of the problem and alert, but not paranoid. The earlier you catch this, the quicker they recover. Just remember that there is often no temperature or a depressed one and that is why it is so commonly misdiagnosed.
I spoke to my veterinarian today and to the veterinarian who is trying to solve the mystery of the horses North of Roanoke Virginia. They both agreed to give The Horse their stories. The mouse test results are still not back, and the vet working on that is still expecting a positive test for botulism. Despite many posts to the contrary, my vet is absolutely convinced that what hit Whisper and our others was not botulism. Therefore, it is possible some cases reported are and some are not botulism since the symptoms overlap. We hope to get Virginia Tech to make some initial statement soon to at least indicate that this is being investigated. We hope they will take over the symptom descriptions soon as well.
The reports have slowed but we still get very compelling descriptions of some of the more unusual symptoms. Unfortunately the reports that have come in have expanded the area. There are now two reports from Texas and one from Missouri, and one from Arizona. Both my vet and I are greatly surprised to see a report from a dry state as the theory has always been this is related to the excessively damp weather in the mid Atlantic this past year. I hope that this single report has an explanation that leaves the theory valid.
There are more survivor stories now, but only one that did not involve antibiotics. Happily, a horse that was in the lock-up stage has recovered through hospitalization and the use of IV Naxcel! The recovery was not fast, but it is back almost to normal. I have modified the symptoms slightly as more data has come in.
posted 03-03-2005 06:34 PM
ping for later
I spoke with one of the state vet's at the Chicago Hawthorne racetrack yesterday and one of the track vets - neither had heard anything about this. I have no idea if this is real or a hoax.
Thanks for checking on it.
It is a HOAX.
The original post and follow ups have all the key phrases the PETA people like to use against the horse industry.
ie: don't feed from the ground
don't feed round bales (like you would cows for slaughter)
don't eat horses
don't slaughter horses for dog food
etc, etc.
The warnings say "many deaths on multiple farms" "widespread" "multiple fatalities on individual farms".
All these phrases are to instill panic and helplessness in the horse industry, just like was done to the public with reguard to the cattle industry. Read some of this guy's preachings and see his underlying agenda.
Look at hard statistics (not vague ramblings) on horse mortality. Deaths are common, if you have a large herd, a 5% mortality is not unheard of. It happens. If you only have 2 horses and both die within a short period of time, it is a personal tradgedy, but not necessarily indicative of a widespread disease.
Gotta go fire up the tractor and stick another round bale out.
I've been keeping an eye on this from the get-go and didn't think much about it until I read that this "illness" had spread to Texas (where I am). I started making a few simple phone calls, one to the AAEP, who knew nothing about this. I also called the Virginia Tech equine hospital, named as an investigating entity. They didn't know anything about it, either!
I'm stunned at how many people took this at face value, from some idiot on the internet. All it took was 5 minutes of simple phone calls to get the truth.
Source: Attending Veterinarian Discusses "Whisper Syndrome" - TheHorse.com
The following statement was sent to members of the American Association of Equine Practitioners listserv yesterday. It was released on behalf of Thach Winslow, DVM, the veterinarian who treated horses on a farm in Shawsville, Va., one of which died of a yet to be determined illness. The horse's owner, John Holland, posted information about his horse's clinical signs on an Internet message board and dubbed the horse's unidentified disease "Whisper syndrome," after his deceased horse, Whisper. Many horse owners responded in a whirlwind of concern, suggesting their horses might have had the same problem.
Holland reported on the message board that Whisper died after a rapid onset of clinical signs that included inappetence, neurologic signs, and colitis. Last week, veterinarians cautioned horse owners not to jump to conclusions in diagnosing their own animals or linking past cases with the alleged disease, because the cause of the disease has not been confirmed and claims of an outbreak have not been substantiated.
Dr. Winslow's statement follows:
"Upon several requests, I have prepared this statement for those who have inquired. It is targeted at the horse owner, but I thought it would be of interest to the list as well.
"This statement is being prepared by the attending veterinarian involved in the case which is being referred to as 'Whisper Syndrome,' and which has generated concern in the equine industry.
"The facts are as follows: The farm of origin has acceptable management practices and a record of healthy horses over the past years with no disease incidence. In the past 6 weeks, three horses were clinically abnormal and seen by the veterinarian.
"The first of these had a history of being off feed that day and slightly depressed, had a reluctance to swallow and an inconsistent abnormal head carriage. Physical exam was within normal limits other than the findings reported in the history. A CBC was submitted and results revealed active inflammation. Antimicrobials were administered and the horse recovered over a 4 day period. There was never a fever detected.
"The second horse had similar but milder signs in the morning, and by evening was down and showing signs of toxic shock. Referral to a veterinary hospital was not practical. The owner requested antimicrobial therapy which was initiated. The horse died within three hours and a necropsy was performed at the referral hospital the following day. The third horse presented very similarly to the first horse, and had a normal physical exam other than inappetance and mild depression. It was put on antimicrobials immediately, and a CBC was submitted. The CBC showed an inflammatory response, and the horse recovered in two days.
"Necropsy findings on the dead horse, "Whisper", were as follows:
"There were disseminated superficial hemorrhages over most of the visceral organs. The stomach had a tear through the muscular layer but not through the mucosa. The contents of the duodenum were dry and the distal portion of the large colon had dry firm contents. Gross pathological finds were suggestive of enterocolitis. No significant histological lesions were seen except for evidence of mild colonic inflammation.
"Since news of this spread on the internet, there have been hundreds of claims of similar cases, however with such general subtle signs, it is difficult if not impossible to assess the relationship of the cases. Regardless, there is concern over a disease which can progress so quickly and we would like to identify the pathogen or causative agent.
"We are not yet convinced that all three horses were affected by the same disease, but we are trying to define the link with further diagnostics.
"We do not believe that there is a new disease involved. We also do not believe that there is an epidemic killing horses. We do understand that recent weather and stress conditions may have precipitated an increase incidence in horse mortality from many different infectious diseases.
"We would like to identify any links which may exist. This can be facilitated with cooperation by the equine community.
"If you have a suspicious horse, it would be advised to contact your veterinarian, and perhaps bring this statement to their attention. It may be prudent for veterinarians to consider CBC's in undiagnosed cases which appear mild and normally would not warrant such. Most importantly, it would be advantageous to have necropsies performed by a pathologist in the event that any horse dies suddenly with a similar history.
"I cannot emphasize enough that if there is any more to be learned it will be through careful scientific evaluation of cases. Retrospective cases without necropsies will be of little to no use. The veterinary community is informed and horse owners should direct their cases and information through the proper channels. If you are a horse owner and are concerned about a case in the past or present, please consult your veterinarian. He/She will have the resources to evaluate and filter the information. If there is indeed a new or different syndrome emerging, it will become apparent through veterinary communication and interaction of such cases directly, and on the professional list serves.
"Open communication with your veterinarian as well as early identification and treatment of any illness or disorder is always sound animal husbandry. Additionally these same practices are the cornerstone for discovery and problem solving in the veterinary profession. Time and diligent, organized cooperation are the keys to finding any new answers which may be out there."
Source: Attending Veterinarian Discusses "Whisper Syndrome" - TheHorse.com
marking my spot
My skepticism at first was correct but I do think that this issue was brought to the attention of numerous credible individuals with knowledge of diseases in the horse. The outcome of the validity of the original source was questionable, but as I said, the FR folks made several calls to appropriate sources to find out whether the threat was real, imagined or a hoax. Interesting but the FR got to the bottom of it. I still think it was a positive exercise to separate fact from fiction, fantasy from real life.
Are you related to James Herriot?
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