British Columbia Horse Positive for EIA

The horse is located in Cariboo Subdivision E.
One horse in Cariboo Subdivision E, British Columbia, has tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA).
One horse in Cariboo Subdivision E, British Columbia, has tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA). | Wikimedia Commons

On March 19, one horse in Cariboo Subdivision E, British Columbia, was confirmed positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA). Initial reports indicate that there are other horses on the affected premises. Movement restrictions have been placed on any on-premises contact animals. 

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.

Brought to you by Boehringer Ingelheim, The Art of the Horse
SHARE THIS STORY
CATEGORIES
TAGS
RELATED ARTICLES
KC_2
Navigating Equine Insurance
EDCC-rsz-19
Ontario Standardbred Tests Positive for Strangles
EDCC-rsz-9
Virginia Warmblood Suspected Positive for EHV-1
EDCC rsz 12
Michigan Yearling Tests Positive for Strangles
EDCC HEALTH ALERTS
Don’t miss an important EDCC Health Alert! Get alerts delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for Practical Horseman’s newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

Additional Offers
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.