EIA Confirmed in Mississippi

The horse resides in Jones County, where nine horses are exposed.

A gelding in Jones County, Mississippi, is positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA), and nine horses are exposed.
A gelding in Jones County, Mississippi, is positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA), and nine horses are exposed. | Wikimedia Commons

A 15-year-old grade pony gelding in Jones County, Mississippi, is positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA). The horse is not showing any clinical signs and is quarantined. Nine additional horses are exposed. 

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
Related Articles
Horse Stable
7 California Horses Positive for EIA
Portrait of a beautiful bay horse standing in a stall in the sta
Utah Horse Positive for WNV
Horse in a Stable Box
HORSE OWNERS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN AN EDCC BIOSECURITY SURVEY
Horse with flies around the eye in summer
Morgan Mare in New York Positive for EEE
Newsletter
Don’t miss an important EDCC Health Alert! Get alerts delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for Horse & Rider’s newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

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