Posted on 03/02/2005 5:50:42 PM PST by mommadooo3
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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