Equine Infectious Anemia (Coggins’ Disease)
TRANSMISSION
Recently we have learned more about the transmission of this disease. The disease is spread by horseflies. The large horsefly is the main vector. If they bite an infected horse and then bite a healthy horse, the disease gets transmitted. The virus does not live for very long on the horsefly, maybe as little as fifteen or thirty minutes. So for one horse to infect another they must be close to each other. This disease occurs anywhere horseflies live.
Clinical Signs
1. high fever
2. labored breathing
3. pounding heartbeat and exhaustion
4. anemia.
Three different sets of symptoms occur: acute, chronic and the asymptomatic carrier. With acute infection the horse has fever, depression, and no appetite. The acute horse may be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are very general and he will not be positive on the EIA test for a month and a half. Approximately one third of infected horses will die of the acute form within a month. The chronically infected horse will having recurring acute bouts along with weight loss, ventral edema (swollen belly and legs) and anemia. These horses will be positive on a EIA test. These horses may linger for a year or more before they die.
Most asymptomatic EIA infected horses will not show any recognizable signs but will test positive on a Coggins test.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for EIA. Treatment consists of supportive therapy of intravenous fluids and vector control. Infected horses should be promptly isolated.
Prevention
There is no cure for EIA, so prevention is the key to controlling the disease. The Coggins test is a simple blood test that is widely accepted as a way of determining carriers of the disease. The Coggins test is often required to transport, show, sell, or board a horse. Coggins tests should be updated yearly. Owners of positive horses have to make the choice to put the horse down (euthanized) or have the animal permanently quarantined. Transportation of positive horses is prohibited.
Recently we have learned more about the transmission of this disease. The disease is spread by horseflies. The large horsefly is the main vector. If they bite an infected horse and then bite a healthy horse, the disease gets transmitted. The virus does not live for very long on the horsefly, maybe as little as fifteen or thirty minutes. So for one horse to infect another they must be close to each other. This disease occurs anywhere horseflies live.
Clinical Signs
1. high fever
2. labored breathing
3. pounding heartbeat and exhaustion
4. anemia.
Three different sets of symptoms occur: acute, chronic and the asymptomatic carrier. With acute infection the horse has fever, depression, and no appetite. The acute horse may be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are very general and he will not be positive on the EIA test for a month and a half. Approximately one third of infected horses will die of the acute form within a month. The chronically infected horse will having recurring acute bouts along with weight loss, ventral edema (swollen belly and legs) and anemia. These horses will be positive on a EIA test. These horses may linger for a year or more before they die.
Most asymptomatic EIA infected horses will not show any recognizable signs but will test positive on a Coggins test.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for EIA. Treatment consists of supportive therapy of intravenous fluids and vector control. Infected horses should be promptly isolated.
Prevention
There is no cure for EIA, so prevention is the key to controlling the disease. The Coggins test is a simple blood test that is widely accepted as a way of determining carriers of the disease. The Coggins test is often required to transport, show, sell, or board a horse. Coggins tests should be updated yearly. Owners of positive horses have to make the choice to put the horse down (euthanized) or have the animal permanently quarantined. Transportation of positive horses is prohibited.