Whisper Syndrome??

[Inyureye]

Here's one from the All Breed board. I thought I would cross post it here, in case anyone has ever heard of this?

I am picking this up on many of the lists that I am on. Has anyone here heard of this or know of anyone who has lost horses to it. There is a new yahoogroup devoted to this only also - it is at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whisper_syndrome/

message is as follows:

Subject: [netposse] Whisper syndrome update.


I have now received several more reports of recent horse deaths with these unique symptoms. 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 very much hoping that I will get this far enough along that the veterinary community will pick up on it and take the ball. I have two who are beginning to do just that.

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 antibiotics, 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:
Strange uncharacteristic, isolated stumble, trip, stretching step, head gesture, or other apparently neurological sign. These are often dismissed due to age or other factors. Turning head sideways while lying down (not looking at flanks like colic). 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.

Lack of appetite or chewing but not swallowing.
Aversion to water. Dehydration.
No elevated temperature, and possibly a subnormal temperature (96-99.8 is typical).
Blood work will show drop in lymphocytes.
Heart rate may not be elevated.
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.

Stage 2 symptoms:
Difficulty walking or refusal to move from a standing position. Difficulty getting up. Sudden collapse. Shivering.
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 our two who were given Naxcel, but penicillin may work.
We are assuming here that ours all had Whisper syndrome, but this is a reasonable assumption given the fact that all occurred within weeks of each other. This is classic among horses who have died of the syndrome. Antibiotics are often not prescribed in time because of the lack of a 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. 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 Symptom is:
It could be botulism but vets are in disagreement on the likelihood of this because it appears to respond to antibiotics better than would be expected with botulism. Tests will prove or disprove one classic case in two weeks.

It is probably bacterial in nature given its apparent response to antibiotics. 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 Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and upstate New York have all reported similar cases. 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).

Here is what I will need to know:

How many of the symptoms were present?
Were multiple horses at the facility and were others affected?
What treatment 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

[Inyureye]

Found this update on another board:

UPDATE!

Several of you have posted about related diseases in goats and even
humans. I missed this at first because there is a fungal disorder
that sounds very similar and I knew that this was a gram positive
bacterial disease and not fungus.

Kyle S. just helped me hit the jackpot because he recognized the
symptoms from his goats. Amy in Texas was the first to put the
disease out as something to look at.

There is very little information on this in horses.

This is a rare and often fatal bacterial infection that is known in
Icelandic horses.

We have all speculated Whisper Syndrome is an import! Bingo

http://www.cavalor.com/nutritionitem.php?id=175

It was very prevalent in PMU horses which came from Canada.
It occurs in Winter from feeding grass silage on the ground! Bingo
It causes gastroenteritis and septicemia.! Bingo

It is gram positive (thus penicillin would not be effective but
Naxcel would) Bingo

Survival has been reported now with Tucoprim which is also effective
against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Another
survivor had was treated with SMZ (Spectrim or Bactrim) which is also
effective against gram positive bacterium. Bingo!

It causes stiff necks in humans and similar symptoms in goats.
This explains the Whisper twist.

Interestingly, not a single case of Whisper syndrome was reported to
me as being diagnosed as Listerosis.

John Holland

PS: I am not a veterinarian, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn express

[Happy]

Owners in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and upstate New York have all reported similar cases. The location of other cases is not yet determined and it may be more widely spread. There is an intense cluster in Virginia.

John,
What area of Virginia is these horses in?