A horse in Okeechobee County, Florida, has tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA), the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) reported Feb. 11.

“The (affected premises) and all horses with 200 yards surrounding the (premises) are currently under quarantine until further testing of the animals are complete,” the EDCC statement read. “An epidemiological trace is underway.”

This is the first EIA case for both Okeechobee County and the state of Florida for 2016, the EDCC said.

Equine infectious anemia is a viral disease that attacks horses’ immune systems and is most commonly detected with the Coggins test. The virus is transmitted through the exchange of body fluids from an infected to a noninfected animal, often by blood-feeding insects such as horseflies, and more rarely through the use of blood-contaminated instruments or needles

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