This message is from: "sandra church" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Thank you for the advice concerning the EPM vaccines. Considering that this vaccine is being marketed without the latest discovery (that the domestic cat can be used as the experimental intermediate host) being considered...well, someone's asking for more ill horses and more lawsuits (IMHO). BTW, why has this information about cats being kept so quiet? I don't want them eliminated (I love my 6 felines) so maybe their part in the life cyle of EPM needs to be researched much more before the news gets out there and cats start disappearing. I've read where vaccines for WNV are being developed and don't researchers know less about WNV than they do about EPM? I have a frozen woodpecker (that I keep forgetting to toss out) that the state lab was not interested in testing for WNV. My friend has a hawk in her freezer...same story because the lab is ONLY testing crows. A positive crow was found about 10 miles from me (all these birds were discovered last fall) so I know WNV is here and we're dreading the return of hot weather. This could really affect the horse industry. Last fall, my 3 year old mini was put down after suffering horribly with seizures. I had a narcopsy (sp?) done. After one week, the lab diagnosed "probably EPM" but after two weeks, the lab diagnosed "actinomycosis". No one has been able to explain to me how he caught a cow disease which is extremely rare in horses. Anyone out there familar with cow diseases? A friend who was a meat inspector for years said that he would come across cows with this "circling disease" and the animal would be immediately destroyed. I haven't been able to enjoy a steak since talking to him. Didn't mean to go on and on but it's incredible what our horses can be exposed to even on the most meticulous farms. Time to go give them a hug and hay....
Sandra from Va. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
