Equine infectious anemia

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Equine infectious anemia virus

Virus classification
Group:

Group VI (ssRNA-RT)

Order:

Unassigned

Family:

Retroviridae

Subfamily: Orthoretrovirinae
Genus:

Lentivirus

Species:

Equine infectious
anemia virus

Equine infectious anemia or equine infectious anaemia (EIA), also known by horsemen
as swamp fever, is a horse disease caused by a retrovirus and transmitted by bloodsucking insects.
The virus (EIAV) is endemic in the Americas, parts of Europe, the Middle and Far East, Russia,
and South Africa. The virus is a lentivirus, like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Like HIV, EIA
can be transmitted through blood, milk, and body secretions. Transmission is primarily through biting
flies, such as the horse-fly and deer-fly.[1] The virus survives up to 4 hours in the vector
(epidemiology). Contaminated surgical equipment and recycled needles and syringes, and bits[2] can
transmit the disease. Mares can transmit the disease to their foals via the placenta. The risk of
transmitting the disease is greatest when an infected horse is ill, as the blood levels of the virus are
then highest.
Contents

[hide]

1Stages

2Prevention and treatment

3Diagnosis

4References

5External links

Stages[edit]
Acute: The acute form is a sudden onset of the disease at full-force. Symptoms include high
fever, anemia (due to the breakdown of red blood cells), weakness, swelling of the lower abdomen
and legs, weak pulse, and irregular heartbeat. The horse may die suddenly.
Subacute: A slower, less severe progression of the disease. Symptoms include recurrent fever,
weight loss, an enlarged spleen (felt during a rectal examination), anemia, and swelling of the lower
chest, abdominal wall, penile sheath, scrotum, and legs.
Chronic: Horse tires easily and is unsuitable for work. May have a recurrent fever and anemia, may
relapse to the subacute or acute form even several years after the original attack.
A horse may also not appear to have any symptoms, yet still tests positive for EIA antibodies. This
horse can still pass on the disease. According to most veterinarians, horses diagnosed EIA positive
are usually not showing any sign of sickness or disease.
EIA may cause abortion in pregnant mares. This may occur at any time during the pregnancy if there
is a relapse when the virus enters the blood. Most infected mares will abort, however some give birth
to healthy foals. Foals are not necessarily infected.
Studies indicate that there are breeds with a tolerance to EIA.[3]
Recent studies in Brazil on living wild horses have shown that in the Pantanal, about 30% of
domesticated and about 5.5% of the wild horses are chronically infected with EIA. [4]

Prevention and treatment[edit]

A vaccine is available, called "Chinese Live Attenuated EIA vaccine", developed in China and widely
used there since 1983. Another attenuated live virus vaccine is in development in the United States. [5]
Reuse of syringes and needles is a risk factor for transfer of the disease. Currently in the United
States, all horses that test positive must be reported to federal authorities by the testing laboratory.
EIA-positive horses are infected for life. Options for the horse include sending the horse to a
recognized research facility, branding the horse and quarantining it at least 200 yards from other
horses for the rest of its life, and euthanizing the horse. Very few quarantine facilities exist, which
usually leads to the option of euthanizing the horse. The Florida Research Institute for Equine
Nurturing, Development and Safety (a.k.a. F.R.I.E.N.D.S.) is one of the largest such quarantine
facilities and is located in south Florida.[6] The horse industry and the veterinary industry strongly
suggest that the risks posed by infected horses, even if they are not showing any clinical signs, are
enough of a reason to impose such stringent rules. The precise impacts of the disease on the horse
industry are unknown.

Diagnosis[edit]

The Coggins test submission form, which requires identification of the horse's physical appearance.

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to
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and when to remove this template message)

The Coggins test (agar immunodiffusion) is a sensitive diagnostic test for equine infectious anemia
developed by Dr. Leroy Coggins in the 1970s.
Currently, the USA does not have an eradication program due to the low rate of incidence, however
many states require a negative Coggins test for interstate travel. In addition, most horse shows and
events require a negative Coggins test. Most countries require a negative test result before allowing
an imported horse into the country.
It is recommended to verify that all the horses at a breeding farm and or boarding facility have a
negative Coggins test before using their services. A Coggins test should be done on an annual
basis. Tests every 6 months are recommended if there is increased traveling.

References[edit]
1.

Jump up^ "Equine Infectious Anemia: Introduction". The Merck

Veterinary Manual. 2006. Retrieved 2007-06-23.

2.

Jump up^ Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA), North Carolina

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, retrieved
December 19, 2008.

3.

Jump up^ "Agricultural Biological Diversity", Convention on Biological

Diversity, referenced August 12, 2008.

4.

Jump up^ R.A.M.S. Silva; U.G.P. De Abreu; A.M.R. Dvila; L.

Ramirez (1999). "Swamp fever in wild horses from the Pantanal,
Brazil" (PDF). Revue d'levage et de mdecine vtrinaire des pays
tropicaux. 52 (2): 99101. Retrieved 2010-10-17.

Retroviridae

5.

Jump up^ Craigo JK, Li F, Steckbeck JD, Durkin S, Howe L, Cook SJ,
Issel C, Montelaro RC (2005). "Discerning an effective balance
between equine infectious anemia virus attenuation and vaccine
efficacy.". J. Virol. 79 (5): 266677. doi:10.1128/JVI.79.5.26662677.2005. PMC 548432 . PMID 15708986.

6.

Jump up^ http://www.eiahorses.org

External links[edit]

The short film Equine Infectious Anemia: A Status Report (1996) is

available for free download at the Internet Archive
[hide]

Virus: Retroviruses

Alpharetrovirus

Betaretrovirus

Avian sarcoma leukosis virus

Rous sarcoma virus
Mouse mammary tumor virus
Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus
Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1

Deltaretrovirus

HTLV-2, 3, 4)
Simian-T-lymphotropic virus (types 1-4)
Bovine leukemia virus

Epsilonretrovirus

Walleye epidermal hyperplasia virus

Murine leukemia virus
Abelson murine leukemia virus

Gammaretrovirus

Friend virus
Feline leukemia virus
Koala retrovirus (KIDS)
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus

Lentivirus

HIV
Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)

Puma lentivirus
Equine infectious anemia
Bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV)
Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus
Visna virus

Spumavirus

Simian foamy virus

Human foamy virus

Metaviridae

Other

Pseudoviridae

Hepadnaviridae (Hepatitis B virus)

Caulimoviridae
ERVWE1
HCP5
Human teratocarcinoma-derived virus

Categories:

Animal virology

Horse diseases

Lentiviruses

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This page was last modified on 9 November 2016, at 14:10.

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