A flurry of interest arose this week on an Internet message board started by individuals who think their sick horses’ fatal diseases are linked. As a result, veterinarians are cautioning horse owners not to jump to conclusions in diagnosing their own animals or linking past cases with the alleged disease, because at this time, no disease claims have been substantiated.

Since March 2, horse owners have been posting to a bulletin board about a disease they termed “Whisper Syndrome” after the deceased horse (named Whisper) of John Holland of Shawsville, Va. That horse died after a rapid onset of clinical signs that included inappetence, neurologic signs, and colitis. He posted information about his horse’s clinical signs on the message board, and many horse owners have responded, suggesting their horses might have had the same problem