This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Colic, Diarrhea, GI Tract » Colic in Horses » Discussions on Colic in Horses not covered by the above »
  Discussion on Whisper SynDrOme?
Author Message
Member:
Terrilyn

Posted on Thursday, Mar 3, 2005 - 11:25 am:

I received this from a friend this morning who passed it on from the internet horse group she belongs to....I didn't know where to put it since its origin/cause is unclear, but does seem to include colic/colitis symptoms....thought this was definitely worth sharing!
**********************************
Dated Tuesday, March 1, 2005

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 https://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
Member:
Jojo15

Posted on Thursday, Mar 3, 2005 - 8:09 pm:

Hmmm. i just got this from a girl on a list called patricia reed and she said she wrote it.

I am very curious, since i just went thru 10 days of colick that i felt wasn't jsut a colick. The glassy eyed, eating the whole time, laying down in unexpected places, but not rolling and acting colicky. the spike in temps. and other times not reaching 100. Bloating. the playing with water but not actually drinking it. all these things were happening to my girl. But i never pulled blood. and i haven't really seen another episode. I had figured there was a poisonous plant she might have been sporadically eating that causes gas.. hmmm.

This makes me wonder.
Whats your take on this email making the rounds Dr. O?

jojo
Member:
Jojo15

Posted on Thursday, Mar 3, 2005 - 8:22 pm:

they think its a listeriosis... and i just got goats... very strange. Actually the 3 or 4 th day of having the goats on the property my horse started this colic event.

jojo
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Mar 4, 2005 - 8:14 am:

We have not received anything official on this. The signs are so general, including the DrOp in lymphocytes, that this could be any of dozens of diseases...or a hoax. Assuming this is real he may have cases where these diseases have been ruled out, but when he talks about similar cases he has heard about, he is way out on a limb.
DrO
Member:
Terrilyn

Posted on Friday, Mar 4, 2005 - 8:28 am:

I thought about the hoax/credibility possibilites of this before I posted it...the person who forwarded it to me said it was from a reliable group of which she's been a member for a long time--and that the sender/situation was genuine. I HATE forwarding or posting things that are bogus or questionable....too bad we don't have a website like snopes.com where we can check the validity of the hottest horse rumors on the net...:-)
Member:
Chohler

Posted on Friday, Mar 4, 2005 - 12:46 pm:

Terri are you on a pmu mail list? I just got a pmu digest with this info on it. This isn't a hoax I am familiar with one of the guys that this happened to but I don't think he has all of his necropsy result back. These horses all seem to be pmu rescue with no great history of being taken care of until being rescued. I don't know if hollands vet has rulled out everything. This is a very scarry thing for him as he has lost a few horses and so have other people in the area.
I don't know if you talk to Mr. Holland but tell him to post his vets finding and DrO can give him his input, or relay the message if you can.
Member:
Terrilyn

Posted on Friday, Mar 4, 2005 - 1:29 pm:

Cheryl--
I'm really not sure which list my friend is on. It is one she regularly corresponds with, though, and felt strongly enough about its authenticity/validity to send it out to others not in the group. I'm sure it's making the rounds to many other groups and lists. Will let you know what else she hears.
Member:
Zippi

Posted on Friday, Mar 4, 2005 - 2:58 pm:

Terri and Cheryl, I just received the same email from John Holland via a friend of mine. She is pretty reliable and doesn't usually forward things unless she checks them out. Another friend just lost a young horse last week. Similar symptons, they were calling it Botulism though she doesn't have all her results back yet. It's scary to think something new is out there. Zippi
Member:
Kthorse

Posted on Friday, Mar 4, 2005 - 8:51 pm:

From: "Lucy Lowe" <lucyl@planetc.com> Reply-To: "Lucy Lowe" <lucyl@planetc.com> To: "Mary Coker" <mary_cok@hotmail.com>,<cedarbrz@hotmail.com> Subject: Fw: [CH] Fwd: [netposse] Final fact sheet on Whisper SynDrOme / Listeriosis Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 09:53:34 -0500 more on this synDrOme ----- Original Message ----- From: vickie To: Carolina Horses Sent: Thursday, March I also got this second part from a trusted freind.
03, 2005 8:52 AM Subject: [CH] Fwd: [netposse] Final fact sheet on Whisper SynDrOme / Listeriosis John Holland <hollandtech@earthlink.net> wrote: After this post I will quit cluttering up all the unrelated boards and post only to https://groups.yahoo.com/group/whisper_synDrOme. Until the veterinary community can get ahead of this, I am posting what I have learned. Horses are being treated at this moment that had been unsuccessfully treated as having colic and other disorders, so I have felt it urgent to get this out. I have originally consulted with three veterinarians and now contacted several other veterinarians including the Virginia Tech staff who act for the state here. In posting the symptoms of my horses and three at a near by farm I received an enormous number of emails saying that they had seen the same symptoms, and most of these horses had died within 12 hours to 4 days. The symptoms mimic colic, West Nile, and even Salmonella, and the only effective treatments have been with antibiotics that are effective against gram positive bacteria. I only have a record on one untreated mare surviving and she is still sick. Not a single report had diagnosed Listeriosis and not a single necropsy had determined the cause of death other than the symptom of colitis. Therefore it became clear that an outbreak of an entirely undiagnosed or misdiagnosed disease clearly killing horses in the following states: Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Maryland, up state New York, Wyoming, and there is a possible case in California. We believe that the disease that we have been calling Whisper SynDrOme is in fact Listeriosis or a new strain of this disease. It is a gram positive bacterial infection most commonly known in Icelandic horses. https://www.cavalor.com/nutritionitem.php?id=175 It is common in Canada in sheep, and in the US in goats. It is also found in humans but it is not known (by me at least) if it can migrate between these species. In Goats it causes symptoms very similar to that seen in horses, especially the strange neck curl or twist we call the Whisper twist. In humans it causes neck pain. Listeriosis causes gastro enteritis and septicemia. This accounts for the symptoms that appear to be colic, and for the frequent loose manure and/or foul smelling manure and sometimes breath. Please read the symptoms carefully because it is easily misdiagnosed. Among the horses it appears to be most prevalent in PMU mares and foals from Canada, but our PMU mare Whisper came from North Dakota and had been with us for a year. It has been reported to me in almost every breed and in minis. Since our mare had been here for a year, and no other horses had come or gone, it is possible that this is carried by these horses for long periods of times. The other explanation is that the wet conditions have been such that the organism has spread by other vectors or that it was already present and simply was able to transfer. I personally believe it is transmitted by feeding from the ground or food in contact with the ground and by manure, but that is speculation. About 80% of all cases involve feeding of round bales. It tends to strike multiple times at a single multi-horse facility often killing three or four horses. The great majority of cases have occurred since this past Christmas. This is the same season that it is seen in Iceland, largely because this is the time of year that grass silage is fed on the ground. It has also been reported in the warmer months but to a much smaller degree. This could coincide with the fact that fewer round bales are fed during these months. It has been reported in some horses with not round bale access or ground feeding other than grazing. Symptoms: Not all these symptoms are present in any single case, but many are seen in most cases. Sudden, uncharacteristic, aggressive events have been reported to have preceded the onset of other symptoms in a number of cases. Whisper attacked me without provocation several days before her onset and then seemed confused over why she had done so. These have all been singular events. Stage 1 symptoms (4 hours to 1 day): The most reliable early indication is inability to finish meals or complete lack of appetite. Chewing without swallowing is common. There are unusual neurological symptoms that are nearly as common. 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 and very common. Pawing at floor of stall, and or circling. Change of habitual patterns of behavior / confusion. Glassy eyed look and tendency to wander off and get lost. 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 and have been commonly treated for these. Only the cases that used a gram positive effective antibiotic for a salmonella diagnosis have been successful, but in these cases fecal tests have not shown 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 many cases and it contains both fungi and bacteria. A foul breath and/or manure are common. Bloody nasal discharge has been reported in one case with otherwise classic symptoms. Lack of appetite or chewing but not swallowing are almost universal. Aversion to water (most but not all cases). Horse 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. This spike is often either missed or does not occur at all. 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. Total confusion and glassy eyed look Tripping and sudden collapse. Shivering (onset of shock) Colitis is a symptom which can cause loose and septicemia causes foul smelling breath and stools. Bloody stool has been reported in one case which is consistent with severe colitis. Distension of the stomach has been noted both during symptoms and at necropsy. Severe diarrhea is reported as is one case of 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. Survival rates: 1 reported survival in an untreated horse where two others died. This horse is still not fully recovered after several weeks. 2 reported survivals when SMZ (Spectrim or Bactrim) was administered, but disease rebounded in one case. 1 reported survival with 20 CC twice daily of Gentamiacin 30 CC of Probios twice daily (used to treat rebound case above) 2 reported survivals with Tucoprim, unknown dose 6 reported survivals with Naxcel (average dose 20 CC twice daily for 5 to 14 days depending on how early symptoms were caught. 0 reported survivals with penicillin alone (confirms it is gram positive bacteria) Blood work should be done immediately to determine if the antibiotics are indicated. It is not safe to assume you are dealing with colic and not check blood at this time. Dozens of horses have been reported to have been treated for colic and died shortly thereafter. 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. If you have a case to report, here is what I 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? I feel like we are very close to getting this thing nailed down. I very much appreciate the help of everyone on all these boards. You are great people! John Holland PS: I believe strongly that horse slaughter for human consumption should stop until we know if this strain can infect humans. I propose a 50 year study. Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT --------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: https://groups.yahoo.com/group/netposse/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: netposse-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. --------------------------------- Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday! Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ---------------------------------------------~--> Manage subscriptions by e-mail! Subscribe: CarolinaHorses-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: CarolinaHorses-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Vacation/No Mail: CarolinaHorses-nomail@yahoogroups.com Digest Mode: CarolinaHorses-digest@yahoogroups.com If you want to forward a message to another list, or otherwise use it (except for your own personal use), please ask the author's permission. ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
Member:
Jojo15

Posted on Sunday, Mar 6, 2005 - 5:16 pm:

I am not discounting anyone, but THE HORSE has already an article on this.

https://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=5584

But of course, on both sides of this. You can't always believe what you read. I think this guys heart was in the right place, it just went awry.

joj
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Mar 7, 2005 - 6:12 am:

An excellent overview of the situation joj.
DrO
New Member:
Gavet

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 8, 2005 - 3:25 pm:

Dr. Winslow has posted a reply to this--he is Mr. Holland's veterinarian.
Did you see it on the aaep list, Dr.O?
Do you want to post it here for people to read?
Member:
Jojo15

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 8, 2005 - 4:51 pm:

All it says really, in a nice way that the horse just died of colitis. His vet is in a precarious position. Discounting the poor guy who thinks this is something new, and the vetrinarian community. I was following the yahoo group for a bit. Till it got flaming... And realized that really nothing new or substantive. just pied piper synDrOme.
joj
Member:
Ryle

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 8, 2005 - 5:15 pm:

Dr. Proctor,
I would love to read Dr. Winslow's reply. Could you please send it to me privately if you don't post it here?

Thanks,
Cindy D.
(same one from the EPM mailing list)
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 8, 2005 - 6:07 pm:

Please ,I would love to see it DrP. We have almost no limits on what you may post on these boards as long as it is polite and truthful as far as the poster knows.
DrO
New Member:
Helka

Posted on Thursday, Mar 10, 2005 - 1:40 am:

Atypical myopathy/myoglobinuria? Killed several horses in France and in Belgium few years ago. A good article availabe (for vets) on www.ivis.org.
Member:
Gavet

Posted on Thursday, Mar 10, 2005 - 6:41 am:

As requested:

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 of 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 can not 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.




Thach Winslow, D.V.M.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Mar 10, 2005 - 8:12 am:

Enterocolitis, I wonder if they will find the causative agent?

It reminds me of two cases I have seen with similar clincial signs and necropsy. In both causes antibiotics were administered for relatively minor wounds to healthy horses. 24 to 36 hours later they were in toxic shock. I have always believed it was a clostridial organism that overgrew when antibiotics decreased the normal flora in the bowel.
DrO
Member:
Chohler

Posted on Thursday, Mar 10, 2005 - 12:24 pm:

My friend lost a pmu baby with similarities to these other horses but there was no necropsy due to funds so we don't really have anything that would help.

Would it be a smart idea to feed stuff that with live cultures to help increase the flora upon administration of antibiotics?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Mar 11, 2005 - 6:50 am:

It is uncertain Cheryl if this might reduce the incidence but it would not hurt.
DrO
Member:
Frances

Posted on Friday, Mar 11, 2005 - 2:53 pm:

I've often heard yoghurt recommended for horses after a course of antibiotics but .... do horses DO dairy?
Member:
Lilo

Posted on Friday, Mar 11, 2005 - 4:15 pm:

Horses do dairy - if there is a little sweetness to it. I have used strawberry flavored yogurt as a mix for medications, and it worked well.
Lilo
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Mar 12, 2005 - 12:44 pm:

Remember to use only yogurt with live cultures.
DrO
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC