A Florida woman faces a felony charge for failing to inform state agricultural authorities that a horse on her property tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA).

EIA is an infectious, potentially fatal viral disease transferred from horse-to-horse by biting insects such as horseflies and deer flies. Infected horses display acute or chronic symptoms including fever, anemia, edema, and general weakness. A Coggins test can detect EIA antibodies in horses' blood.

Authorities from the Florida Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE) allege that Regina Chesser of Fellsmere, Fla., failed to report that her 28-year-old Quarter Horse, Dolly, tested positive for the EIA virus via a Coggins test. The test was administered by a local veterinary clinic and processed by the state's approved laboratory, said OALE spokesman Major Bob Johnson.

Johnson said when authorities tried to contact Chesser about the test results, they learned she had registered at the clinic under an alias and had provided false contact information