Hi, Yvonne. I just got down to your post in the FML.
 
The last I heard (last week) Dr. Bruce Williams is still inclined to
think that this is not an unusual rate of sepsis -- just that this year
it clumped a bit instead of being spread out (and clumps statistically
can happen).  He is obviously keeping an open mind, though.  As you know,
he even had some pathology residents trying very unusual tests but the
specimens he had were from ferrets like Chiclet who just had so many meds
in them that the samples show nothing useful except that we do know now
that several (including Chiclet) died after the infection reached the
heart and no one has been able to save one reaching that point.  So, last
I heard there still is no new info.  I have heard from two of the NW vets
that they and pathologist Dr. Mike Garner are following up so there might
wind up being more information from them at some point.  As you know,
they knew from reading about the pitfalls with earlier cases that
possible sepsis cases need to have cultures taken BEFORE meds are begun,
so they took samples and then began meds immediately after and they found
Pseudomonas in at least one kit, which is one of the harder to catch very
prevalent bacteria around, but when it is caught it is also one of the
hardest to eradicate, being very antibiotic resistant.  Some of the
things not known include if the Pseudomonas was a primary infection, why
some got it (though unnoticed injuries like bites from dirty mouths may
be a possible route, and befouled water is a known route -- at one
triathalon a number of the people got it while swimming; Psuedomonas
infects an incredibly wide range of mammals and is common and active in
wet soil and foul water), if it was a secondary infection then what
knocked down their resistance, etc.
 
I have again today given one of the vets in the NW your addy to share
anything further they learn since you already gave me permission to do
so, Yvonne, and since in your case it IS critical because Clara has been
sick with sepsis for 10 weeks.
 
Bill wrote:
>Dr. Murray did mention running across some oddly similar liver disease
>cases... it's not clear if that is a new "mystery" killer -- best to ask
>over at the FHL, really.  BIG
 
Ah, I'll have to ask about those to see if they sound the same.  In
Chiclet the primary organs where it was the worst problem when it settled
in were: liver, lungs, and heart.  She actually was making progress till
it went to her heart, but once it did that she was dead within 3 days.
[Posted in FML issue 4292]