Equine infectious anemia is a viral disease that attacks horses and other equidae. It is infectious and incurable. It has a death rate of up to 30 percent of acutely infected animals. A surviving animal will be a carrier of the disease for the rest of its life. Currently, there is no vaccination to prevent your horse from catching the disease.
There are three types of the disease: acute, chronic and inapparent. In acute EIA, which is very rare, the horse’s body temperature is highly elevated and he will exhibit weight loss, anemia, weakness, and edema. The horse may die within two to three weeks. The horse may test negative for EIA because he has not been able to produce antibodies to fight it yet. If the horse survives the acute phase, it may never be diagnosed with EIA. It may, therefore, be permitted to move freely in the horse population and the presence of EIA will be discovered later, if at all, only with a routine Coggins test. By that time, other horses in the population may have become infected.
If a horse survives its first acute bout of the disease, it may develop chronic clinical signs with intermittent fevers and other acute signs mentioned previously. The horse may also have an irregular heartbeat and a jugular pulse may become evident. The recurrent episodes of illness may last for a few days or for months. There is often some history of a stress episode prior to a flare-up of EIA in a chronically infected horse. The chronic horse will lose condition, and will be lethargic and anorexic.The overall activities of the horses is diminished.
Most horses found to be positive for EIA by routine test are inapparent carriers: they show no overt clinical abnormalities as a result of infection. However, their blood contains the EIA virus. Stress, hard work or the presence of other diseases may advance a carrier to the acute phase.
How is EIA transmitted?
It is usually transmitted one of two ways, by flies or through blood to blood contact. The flies can easily transmit the disease when they bite one horse and then bite another.
How does the law try to prevent the spread of the disease?
Federal law does not require Coggins tests prior to the interstate movement of horses, however usually the inter state law does. Any horse that is identified as a carrier of EIA is earthier identified by a brand, freezemarking or lip tattoo. Since those horses are identified it is easier to maintain and manage the spread of the disease.
Sources:
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/horse/v1195w.htm
http://www.eqgroup.com/library/coggins.htm
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