The Texas Animal Health Commission has reported four confirmed cases of equine infectious anemia (EIA), commonly referred to as Coggins disease.
EIA is usually spread by blood-feeding insects such as a fly. The virus can be fatal and all horses infected become lifelong reservoirs. Of the four horses infected, three were euthanized. Clinical symptoms of the virus are fever, depression, anemia, red or purple spots on the mucous membranes, edema, muscle weakness, and muscle atrophy.
There is no treatment or cure for EIA, and positive horses can be quarantined for the rest of their life, but are usually euthanized. Infected horses cannot be moved from their original premises during their lifetime and must be kept 200 yards away from other horses, at minimum. There is also no vaccine available for the virus. Methods of prevention include insect control and never sharing blood-infected needles in between horses. Routine testing should be performed to prevent spread to other horses.
