Re: now EIA

["Howard Bramhall" <hwb67@msn.com>]

 

 

From: Becky Huffman

Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 1:50 PM

>North Texas has become a classified 'hotbed' for EIA over the last ten years
>because many people don't take the testing seriously. NO ONE comes on my
>property, not my best friend, not a casual acquaintance without a current,
>negative coggins test, and I don't attend events where papers aren't
>checked.  I know what the test means, and I know there is no 'failsafe', but
>I will take all the precautions I reasonably can to shield my horses from a
>deadly, incurable disease.


First off, I'd like to apologize for that ??? ???? that seems to appear with my email.  I'm not sure what I did wrong to cause this, but it involves Microsoft and Bill Gates and my deciphering of his rulebook on how to run email.  I'll try and fix it ASAP; it's not a virus, although reading my email can sometimes make you ill.

I guess if you keep your horses at home all the time and don't let other folks with horses visit your house it will protect them from contacting EIA.  And there's probably folks who feel the same way about people infected with HIV.  But, to me, it just doesn't seem like much of a life, and I hate to live in that kind of world where fear controls everything.

After 30 plus years of dealing with EIA, putting horses down who come up positive in a Coggins test, I'd just like to hope we will evolve into something better, like a vaccine or get rid of the disease entirely.  And, if there is a vaccine I sure as heck would like to know why we aren't using it here.  I've tried everything to find out about it on the Internet, to no avail.

My source that Japan has a vaccine comes from a lady named Debra Beye Barwick who is affiliated with the F.R.I.E.N.D.S. facility in south Florida.  It's a place where they quarantine and take care of inapparent carriers instead of euthanasia.  She wrote an article on the subject that was recently published. I've tried reaching her by phone but so far have been unsuccessful.  I'll let y'all know if I find out anything more.

cya,

Howard