Texas Horse Tests Positive for EIA
The horse lived in Starr County and was euthanized.
A Quarter Horse in Starr County, Texas, recently tested positive for EIA and was euthanized.
A Quarter Horse in Starr County, Texas, recently tested positive for EIA and was euthanized. | Adobe Stock

A Quarter Horse in Starr County, Texas, recently tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA). The horse was euthanized, and the premises was placed under official quarantine by the Texas Animal Health Commission.

EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. The EDCC is an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.

About EIA

Equine infectious anemia is a viral disease that attacks horses’ immune systems. The virus is transmitted through the exchange of body fluids from an infected to an uninfected animal, often by blood-feeding insects such as horseflies. It can also be transmitted through the use of blood-contaminated instruments or needles.

Coggins test screens horses’ blood for antibodies that are indicative of the presence of the EIA virus. Most U.S. states require horses to have proof of a negative Coggins test to travel across state lines.

Once an animal is infected with EIA, it is infected for life and can be a reservoir for the spread of disease. Not all horses show signs of disease, but those that do can exhibit:

  • Progressive body condition loss;
  • Muscle weakness;
  • Poor stamina;
  • Fever;
  • Depression; and
  • Anemia.

EIA has no vaccine and no cure. A horse diagnosed with the disease dies, is euthanized, or must be placed under extremely strict quarantine conditions (at least 200 yards away from unaffected equids) for the rest of his life.

categories
tags
Trending Articles
Unknown
Researchers Identify Probable Cause of Equine Grass Sickness
Portrait Of Female Vet In Field With Horse
Veterinary Sustainability: Clinics Get Creative With Equine Emergency Coverage 
Showjumping of horse and rider jumping
Disease Du Jour: Role of the Permitted Treating Veterinarian 
Female Vet Examining Horse In Field With Owner
Veterinary Wellness Briefs: Setting Boundaries with Clients in Equine Practice 
Newsletter
Don’t miss an important EDCC Health Alert! Get alerts delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for EquiManagement’s newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

Untitled
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for EDCC Health Watch text alerts to get notified when an equine disease outbreak is reported in your state or region.