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]