Alberta Horse Succumbs to EIA
A Coggins test screens horses’ blood for antibodies that are indicative of the presence of the EIA virus. | Photo: Alexandra Beckstett/The Horse
Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS) officials have reported that on May 20, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) national reference laboratory confirmed positive results for equine infectious anemia (EIA) in a Sturgeon County, Alberta, Canada, horse.

The horse’s owner requested testing by an accredited veterinarian due to the horse’s clinical signs. It succumbed shortly after its sample was taken. CFIA is investigating and per program policy, has imposed movement controls on animals, reportedly including equids, on the horse’s premises.

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 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.