http://www.boston.com/dailynews/142/nation/Caterpillars_cherry_trees_emer:.shtml

Caterpillars, cherry trees emerge as suspects in foal deaths

By Associated Press, 5/22/2001 10:37

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Scientists are looking at caterpillars and cherry trees as possible sources of the mystery illness that is killing newborn horses and threatening the state's multimillion-dollar thoroughbred industry.

Researchers met Monday to discuss data gathered since the deaths started mounting a month ago. A total of 528 dead foals have been delivered to the Gluck Equine Research Center in Lexington since April 28, many times higher than normal. Twelve were received on Monday.

Steve Jackson, a horse nutrition expert, said evidence presented at the meeting does not support an early theory that the deaths resulted from a toxin in grass.

The researchers sent samples of grasses collected after May 5 to laboratories around the country. But the results reviewed by scientists from the University of Kentucky, Gluck and the UK Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center showed negative for the major mycotoxins including zearalonone, which preliminary tests found last week. Mycotoxins are toxins produced by a fungus.

Scientists now have shifted their focus to the Eastern tent caterpillar.

''We have in fact observed in the field a close correlation between the presence of tent caterpillars and cherry trees and the incidence of problems,'' said Scott Smith, UK college of agriculture dean. ''The other stuff is not adding up.''

''The caterpillar just keeps crawling back into the equation,'' said Jackson.

Black or wild cherry trees, the caterpillar's habitat and food of choice, can produce cyanide-like compounds that turn can into the poison in the caterpillar's gut.

But there are problems with the caterpillar theory. ''We don't really understand how the toxins might accumulate in the caterpillar, if they do, and end up in the horse, if they do,'' Smith said.

Smith said the caterpillars are inactive now and it's ''very unlikely'' that any toxin is still present.

Original tests on the caterpillars were negative for cyanide; later tests were positive for the mycotoxin zearalonone. But since the caterpillars are gone, part of the problem will be finding samples to test.

Estimates indicate Kentucky's $1.2 billion thoroughbred industry could see a 30 percent to 40 percent reduction in the number of horses born in 2002 and losses of hundreds of millions of dollars over the next several years.

Kentucky normally produces about 10,000 thoroughbred foals each year, about one-third of those born in the United States.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Answers

Sorry, I don't buy into this...more like something came out of the sky.

Anyone that raises horses KNOWS wild cherry trees can kill an adult horse, as can an apple tree if they eat too many apples, also deadly is the Black walnut tree. Any MULTImillion dallor horse ranch will NOT have those trees near horses. (the Black walnut can make water toxic if the water tank is under the tree!

also, if you watch a horse graze...the end of their nose is almost like fingers, unless the caterpiller in microscopic, I doubt any horse could /would eat enough to make them sick.....

I think they are pulling at straws here.

just my .02

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

I think they are pulling at straws here.

Hay!!!

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001