Equine Infectious Anemia Virus

Equine infectious anemia virus causes a highly contagious viral infection in horses; it can be compared to HIV in humans. Equine infectious anemia virus is capable of producing its own DNA, which attaches itself to the various cellular structures in the body of a horse. In this manner, the virus replicates itself quickly, taking over the normal cells of the body and causing illness and disease. An infestation of equine infectious anemia virus can lead to the systematic failure of all the organs and organ systems in the horse’s body. Equine infectious anemia virus also affects the immune system of the horse.

Like HIV, the equine infectious anemia virus is also passed on through infected blood. This blood borne infection is passed mainly through mosquito bites, deer flies, and horse flies, all of which feed on blood. Also, similar to HIV, equine infectious anemia virus can be passed from a mare to the horse during mating and from mare to her offspring. However, blood swapping caused due to insect bites is the chief mode of infection. Till date there is no equine infectious anemia vaccine. There have been many vaccine trials, but unfortunately, none of them have been successful. Since the infection itself is fatal, the best possible thing to do is to try and keep the horses safe from exposure to the infection. Equine infectious anemia quarantine is one of the best methods to make sure that your horses do not get infected from an already infected horse. If you already have a horse infected, it is important to keep it separated from the others, in a quarantined area where the horse is not exposed to mosquitoes and flies, which may pass the infection along.

You can also read on equine infectious anemia testing

Another thing to remember, if you have an infected horse in your stable, is to never allow the sharing of needles when treating two horses. Be careful only to use disposable needles and destroy the needle after it has been used once. Sharing needles among horses is another common mode of transmission of the equine infectious anemia virus. Since this is a blood borne disease, a horse that has already been tested positive for equine infectious anemia, should never be bred, as this may only result in offspring that are infected, even if the mare is able to have a full term pregnancy that is normal in every way. If there is any blood exchange during the mating, the mare may also get infected.

Equine Pneumonia Symptoms

The equine family, covering horses, mules and donkeys, have all been of great help to the development of civilization over the centuries. From being the primary modes of transport, these majestic beasts have always had to bear a huge burden and a weight of expectations that may have been unimaginable at times. However, because of the close relationship that horses and man have shared over the centuries, it is these beasts that we have come to know almost better than any other in terms of care giving as well as the nutrition that makes them healthier and more stable. Some of the conditions that horses are most susceptible to are respiratory infections. Pneumonia, for example, is one of the most common conditions to affect horses. Studies have also shown that pneumonia in horses is one of the primary causes of death in foals aged between 1 and 4 months. The condition can be caused by a number of avenues including fungus, parasitic infection, a virus or simply even bacteria.  The initial symptoms of pneumonia are likely to be a little vague at first – with the animal simply seeming to be unwell with malaise and fatigue being most prominent. A loss of appetite and diarrhea are likely to develop as well while nasal discharge and an intolerance to exercise are some of the most obvious signs. It’s important that you get a veterinarian to examine the horse at the first signs of illness as the horse’s condition can deteriorate rather rapidly and its important to begin equine pneumonia treatment promptly.

Foals that are suffering from a lower respiratory tract infection are likely to cough up whenever forced to take deep breaths. They will also seem to be rather distressed as a result of the rebreathing bag and tend to show a rather prolonged recovery once the bag has been removed. Some of the more severe equine pneumonia symptoms include abdominal breathing, nostril flaring and cyanosis. It is also important to be aware of the effect that the condition has on the animal over the course of its life. For instance, while most foals that have been affected by the condition will generally grow up to be bright and sprightly, the ones that have been affected more severely are known to become lethargic and anorexic in their mature years. Beginning equine pneumonia treatment promptly may help avert such an outcome.

Equine pneumonia treatment is highly dependent on how soon the owner of the animal alerts the veterinarian about the condition. As a result, it is very important that the owner be able to identify the symptoms correctly. The chronic versions of the condition can usually be treated over a period of time, but the acute versions of the condition could prove to be fatal in as little as 3 to 4 days if not treated adequately.

Equine Infectious Anemia Testing

Also widely known as swamp fever, equine infectious anemia is a virus that is known to affect almost all of the members of the equine family such as horses, mules and donkeys. One of the most significant characteristics of equine infectious anemia is the fact that it can affect the animal for the remainder of its lifetime – regularly producing attacks of illness that can range from being extremely mild to instances of such severity that they could even kill the animal. Equine infectious anemia testing is important for all equine animals because of the very serious consequences and outcomes that the condition has. A number of people make the mistake of thinking that the condition is limited to the confines of the United States. However, the condition is known to be a serious problem all over the planet. Proper equine infectious anemia testing will require an EIA blood test to be performed with specific checks for antibodies in the animal’s blood. The seriousness of the condition should never be underestimated and, given the fact that the condition is known to be contagious – it is no wonder that transporting any equine animal across state borders will require the owner to subject his or her animal to testing. The transport of the animal is only permitted once the test results are returned negative. Whether or not equine infectious anemia test is mandatory, it would be foolish to risk your entire horse population.

You can also read on horse anemia causes, symptoms and treatments.

If you are unsure of whether to subject your animal to an equine infectious anemia test, looking for some of the more prominent symptoms might help you make your mind up. For instance, during the early stages of the disease, the animal will be seen to feel a little feverish and uncoordinated. These symptoms are likely to be present and spread out over a number of days – during which it is most likely and easily transmitted to another animal.  After this initial phase of illness, the animal will be seen to have lost a significant amount of weight and lethargic as well as having a rather high body temperature. If the mare is pregnant, the foal is most likely to be aborted during this time. In the third stage of the illness, chances are that the animal will return to normal. However, as mentioned earlier, the horse is now a lifelong carrier of the disease and likely to also suffer from a rather weak immune system.

As of yet, there is no known method of prevention for equine infectious anemia transmission and the main method of prevention is proper identification and control of infected horses, through equine infectious anemia testing.