Recognition of Equine Infectious Anemia

Running a Coggins test or ELISA test on blood can quickly rule EIA in or out.

Credit: Amy Dragoo Blood testing for EIA is critical to diagnosis. undefined

While EIA is an uncommon occurrence, it is becoming somewhat more prevalent in racing Quarter Horses and bush-track racehorses. There also have been cases springing up across North America.

At the 2017 North American Veterinary Conference, Erin Groover, DVM, DACVIM, presented a case study on a horse with EIA. She reported that possible clinical signs that lend suspicion to an EIA infection include:

  • hemolytic anemia 
  • icterus
  • fever
  • lethargy
  • weight loss
  • etechial hemorrhage
  • distal limb edema
  • pale mucous membranes
  • inappetance

These clinical signs could be attributed to a variety of differential diagnoses: purpura hemorrhagica, autoimmune disorders, equine viral arteritis virus, neoplasia, liver disease or internal abscesses. 

Running a Coggins test or ELISA test on blood can quickly rule EIA in or out. 

categories
tags
Trending Articles
kent nutrition
Feeding for the Future: Nutrition Knowledge for the Modern Equine Practitioner (2025)
[Aggregator] Downloaded image for imported item #18395
2 Oklahoma Horses Test Positive for WNV
[Aggregator] Downloaded image for imported item #18808
Virginia Gelding Positive for Parvovirus
injection in the neck of a horse
Injury Risk and Prevalence in Equine Practice
Newsletter
Get the best from EquiManagement delivered straight to your inbox once a week! Topics include horse care, disease alerts, and vet practitioner updates.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

Untitled
EquiManagement
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.