What Causes Eia In Horses?

The cause is a Lentivirus (a ‘family’ of virus that includes the human immunodeficiency i.e., HIV virus), that is typically transmitted by biting insects in low-lying ‘swampy’ areas. Although the disease has been recorded from all over the world, the incidence varies markedly from country to country.

What is the cause of equine infectious anemia virus?

Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a noncontagious infectious disease of equids caused by a virus of the same name. It is not known to be transmissible to humans. The principal mode of natural transmission of EIA is on the mouth-parts of blood-feeding insects, especially horse flies and deer flies.

Can horses live with EIA?

EIA-positive horses carry the virus for life and serve as a reservoir of infection for other horses. Under the CFIA control program, any EIA-positive horse must be humanely euthanized.

Where is equine infectious anemia most common?

Historically, EIA cases were primarily found in untested or under-tested equine populations with natural vector-borne transmission as the cause of disease spread. More recently, an additional high-risk population has been identified as infected with EIA, namely the racing Quarter Horse population.

Is EIA contagious?

Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) is a contagious viral disease that affects horses worldwide. EIA is a disease of all equidae. Other livestock are not known to be affected by this virus. EIA is also known as swamp fever because of the higher incidence of this disease in the Gulf Coast states.

What happens if a horse has EIA?

Most infected horses are asymptomatic, showing no signs of disease. Acutely infected animals may develop a fever, go off feed, or die suddenly. A chronically infected equine may develop non-specific signs such as weight loss, weakness, anemia, and swelling of the legs, chest, and abdomen.

Is EIA curable?

Treatment of an EIA horse
Sadly, there is no cure for EIA. With a positive diagnosis of this disease there are very few options for horse owners. In many cases, the disease is so severe that it kills the horse on it’s own.

Can a horse recover from EIA?

At this time there is no cure for EIA, nor is there a vaccine that will prevent an animal from becoming infected. Supportive therapy may alleviate clinical signs in individual cases, but it is critical to remember that infected equines serve as a reservoir of infection for other equines.

What is the mortality rate of equine encephalitis virus?

Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis
EEE is often fatal in horses; the mortality rate is 50 to 90%. WEE is more likely to be asymptomatic or mild, with mortality rates of approximately 20 to 30%. Significant morbidity and mortality can also occur in poultry, game birds and ratites.

What do you feed a horse with equine metabolic syndrome?

Thin horses with EMS should receive increased calories in the form of roughage, fat, and possibly protein supplementation. Molasses-free beet pulp, vegetable oils, and low-carbohydrate, moderate protein, higher fat supplements can be used until a desired BCS is reached.

How do you prevent EIA in horses?

To reduce your horse’s chance of becoming infected with EIA:

1. Reduce exposure to biting flies through proactive management and insect control.
2. Never reuse needles or syringes; only use sterile needles and licensed blood products.
3. Use a sterile needle each time you puncture a multi-dose medication bottle.

How is equine EIA transmitted?

How is the infection transmitted? Transmission occurs by transfer of blood from an infected to an uninfected horse. This is achieved naturally via bloodsucking horseflies or mosquitoes. The virus does not multiply in the insect but is passed from one horse to another mechanically as the insect feeds.

What happens if a horse tests positive for Coggins?

For this reason, horses that test positive for Equine Infectious Anemia must either be euthanized, branded and strictly quarantined more 200 yards away from other horses for life, or transferred to a research facility.

Is EIA serious?

A TIA usually lasts only a few minutes and doesn’t cause permanent damage. Often called a ministroke, a TIA may be a warning. About 1 in 3 people who has a TIA will eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the TIA .

What are the 5 stages of an EIA?

Stages of the EIA process

• Screening. Deciding if an EIA is required.
• Scoping. Deciding what needs to be covered in the assessment and reported in the ‘EIA Report’
• Preparing the EIA Report.
• Making an application and consultation.
• Decision making.
• Post decision.

What are the signs and symptoms of EIA?

The clinical symptoms of EIA are variable and include fever, anorexia, depression, swelling of the underside of the belly and legs, muscle weakness and wasting, jaundice of mucous membranes and infertility.

Can a horse survive Coggins?

A Coggins test is good for one year and is required to get a health certificate for your horse. Sadly, most horses that are diagnosed with EIA are eventually euthanized due to the fact that any horse that is confirmed positive must be isolated at least 200 yards away from all other horses for its lifetime.

Can you cure Coggins?

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. There is no cure for EIA, so prevention is the key to controlling the disease.

What causes low platelet count in horses?

Decreased numbers of platelets may be caused by drugs, toxins, or disorders of the bone marrow. Conditions that consume a large number of platelets (such as massive bleeding or severe clotting disorders) can also deplete platelet numbers.

Is Coggins fatal?

A Coggins test is a blood test used to identify the presence of antibodies for equine infectious anemia, a potentially fatal disease with no current treatment available.

How is anemia treated in horses?

The most common method used by many in an attempt to resolve equine anemia is supplementing with vitamins and minerals that are important to the process of red blood cell production. The two most widely used products are supplements that contain iron and/or Vitamin B12.