The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) has reported that the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food has confirmed the first case of equine infectious anemia (EIA) in that state in several years.

“The 14-year old dark bay Quarter Horse gelding located in Wasatch County was originally tested for sale and movement to California, but was not moved due to a positive EIA test,” the EDCC said. “The horse was immediately quarantined and retested for EIA as well as equine piroplasmosis (EP). The EIA test was again positive but the EP test was negative.”

The owner elected to have the horse euthanized.

“This horse was imported from Mexico in April of 2016 with National Veterinary Services Laboratories negative test results for EIA, EP, glanders, and dourine,” the EDCC said. “Ten other cohort horses that are also quarantined on this ranch have been tested for EIA and results are pending. Twelve other cohort horses that had tested negative to EIA in the spring of this year and sent to Arizona recently are in the process of being identified and located.”

The state veterinarians in Arizona and Utah are working together to locate the 12 horses, isolate them, and retest them for 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 a noninfected animal, often by blood-feeding insects such as horseflies, and more rarely through the use of blood-contaminated instruments or needles.

A Coggins test screens horses’ blood for antibodies that are indicative of the pre