EIA or Equine Infectious Anemia strikes fear in the heart of every horse owner. This viral disease is incurable and horses that carry EIA are routinely euthanized and disposed of to prevent the spread of this disease. EIA is spread by bodily fluids from infected horses or biting insects (such as horseflies) that bite an infected horse and then spread the disease by biting unaffected horses.
Recently a herd of 80 horses on an Arkansas horse ranch had 40 horses test positive for EIA. All 40 of the confirmed EIA positive horses were euthanized. The current theory is that although this was a “closed” herd (meaning no horses left or came in for years) the virus was brewing in the herd for some time and was not recognized by the owners.
Once a horse tests positive for EIA they are considered a carrier of this disease for life and must be strictly quarantined or euthanized. Quarantine laws for EIA positive horses vary from state to state. To check the laws for EIA in your specific state – go to the University of Vermont Equine Infectious Anemia page which lists states and their laws.
Although some states require horses to be tested yearly for EIA by using a coggins test; many states only require a coggins test for horses being moved out of their home state.
Currently there has been much discussion and disagreement regarding the handling of coggins testing for auction horses. Many times an auction horse is not tested for EIA until just hours before the auction. Some people feel this leads to false negative results; which in turn can lead to the spread of EIA to other parts of the country.
Symptoms of the onset of EIA are as follows:
Elevated Body Temperature Weight loss Edema Muscle weakness
If you suspect your horse maybe infected with EIA, contact your veterinarian immediately and have a coggins test run. If the result is positive you should have the test run a second time to confirm the diagnosis. Always have your own horses tested yearly even if they are not being transported.