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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Can horses catch Swine flu??

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  • From: "Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Can horses catch Swine flu??
  • Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 00:24:03 -0700

Swine flu in relation to Kenneth Paul's death is nothing but a rumor at this point, so I'd hope folks are not perpetuating the unsubstantiated rumor with even more speculation.

 

I found a cutting horse web site mentioning the unconfirmed possibility (AKA irresponsible reporting) of swine flu causing Kenneth Paul's collapse and subsequent death. I'm guessing there were flu-like symptoms, someone asked if swine flu was possible, and a doctor indicated that all possibilities - including swine flu - would be explored ... and the rumor of "swine flu!" spread from there to the online article that neglected to confirm with a reliable source. Paul's obituary simply indicates a sudden illness, and other articles indicate waiting a couple of weeks for autopsy results.

 

The only references I can find online regarding a swine flu pandemic in Utah are from 2009, when there was indeed a pandemic. I cannot find any report that swine flu has been reported / confirmed in Utah in 2011. I found one 2011 article reporting a USA death with traces of H1N1 a contributing factor.

 

If anyone has a link to current - check the date! - information confirming swine flu (H1N1) is particularly active in the USA, much less swine flu confirmed as causing/contributing to the death of Kenneth Paul, please share that link ... if from a responsible and reliable source. (For example, an announcement by a public health official.)

 

Meanwhile, there are still more horses being suspected/confirmed of having EHV-1 ... not a rumor.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jorene Downs

SAR, CERT, Emergency Communications

Mounted SAR

http://www.ceoates.com/msar

KJ6JCD

 

From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Karen Nesbitt
Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2011 9:43 PM
To: MSAR; Mounted search and rescue in Illinois USA.
Subject: [MSAR] Can horses catch Swine flu??

 

GOOD QUESTION!

In short, its not impossible according to that article.. but more importantly, while horses are not generally victims of swine flu people are.

 

Which brings us back to Utah where the news media has said that the swine flu is again pandemic.

 

In reading all the articles on the EHV-1 virus and the cutting horses, it never ceases to amaze me that how an industry can be so self centered on their own situation and fail to realize that CUTTING HORSES ARE NOT A BREED.  And no less how the news media will run with it.

 

Makes you really wonder if that association has tracked down all its people that were at the show and what steps they took to notify other equine associations?  Surely there is a list of attendees that showed at Ogden and brought horses to the ring.

 

Makes you wonder too how many of the horses got home, maybe died later and no vet was called, and possibly exposed a neighboring equine or other farm.  Or one of the cutting horses at the show went trail riding or to another show and got them exposed?

 

CUTTING HORSES ARE NOT A BREED. Cutting is not limited to just AQHA, APHA or western breeds and many such type horses are kept at boarding stables where other breeds are present.   All a cutting horse is is a horse of not any particular breed or color but  of a specific skill and that is to seperate a cow from a herd while  EHV-1 does not seperate a breed of horse, it can infect any equine breed, including donkies and mules.

 

Approxiamately 700  horses at theOgden, Utah cutting horse show event were  secondary  contacts in the initial public outbreak of the EHV-1 and to which 34 cases to date  are we aware of that died and who knows how many other horses have been exposed by those.  And  what of the handling of the dead animals.  The horses came from far and wide to compete and the virus seems to be reaching out just as far.

 

How many of us here have multi purpose horses that are not only versatile for MSAR, but other jobs on and off  the ranch and perhaps at another show event as well?  Those of you that are one horse owners could probably answer that they use their horse not just for MSAR... Those  of us with more than one horse, be it MSAR or not, given your traveling and location and potential to other exposure..  a whole herd at the home ranch or stable could fall victim to the infection.

 

And back to the swine flu issue, Did Kenneth Paul, a cutting horse trainer die of swine flu?  Dont know.  But it is however  publically official that his daughters horse did die of EHV-1 and both were at the Ogden, Utah cutting horse event and where Kenneth Paul died on the show ground.

 

While treatable.. EHV-1 is not curable.

 

Swine flu.. wash your hands and there is a vacinne.

        Karen Nesbitt - VMSAR - Iroquois County - Illinois

 Genesis 50:9
And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.

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