Georgia Department of Agriculture officials confirmed that a Quarter Horse at a Clarke County facility tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA). The horse was identified during routine testing for interstate travel. It had exhibited no clinical signs and was humanely euthanized. Other horses at the affected horse’s facility are under quarantine subject to follow-up testing in 60 days. This case marks Georgia’s first case of EIA in 2020.

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.

A 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