EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA

EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA

• Common name is EIA
• Also known as horse malaria
• Or swamp fever
• It is spread by horseflies

EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA OR EIA

• Affects the horse by destroying the red blood cells
• Once infected, the horse carries EIA for life.
• There is no cure, if infected, it is usually fatal

SYMPTOMS (Part 1)

• Anemia
• Lethargy
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Enlarged spleen

SYMPTOMS (Part 2)

• Swollen belly and legs
• Depression
• Decreased athletic performance
• And in the acute instances, death

TYPES OF EIA INFECTIONS

• EIA can be infectious in acute or chronic form.
• Acute is the deadly form of infection which almost always ends with death
• If infected, the horse becomes a chronic carrier for life
• Chronic carriers are known as "swampers"
• NO HORSE IS SAFE FROM THIS DISEASE!

PROTOCOL

• You must test your horse at least once a year
• Notify your vet at once if you believe your horse has the symptoms
• The vet will proceed to complete a Coggins test on the horse
• There is no treatment

3 MANAGEMENT OPTIONS IF YOUR HORSE HAS EIA

• Euthanize the horse (most common option)
• Donate the horse to a research facility
• (Pt 1) Construct a completely enclosed barn
• (Pt2) cover it with wire mesh to prevent horseflies from entering
• (Pt 3) don't allow contact with any other horses

SOURCES

• http://www.jbc.org/content/259/16/10539.short
• http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/9930301
• http://www.petmd.com/horse/conditions/endocrine/c_hr_equine_infectious_anem...
• http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/8395326/reload=0;jsessionid=bt2sWMkA0FLFg...
• http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/19712265391.html;jsessionid=BA3574B9618A...