Two horses in North Carolina have tested positive for an always-fatal infection.
Equine Infectious Anemia is a blood-borne disease that is transmitted primarily by flies but can spread through shared needles and other medical equipment. Infected animals are typically asymptomatic until they become weak and have trouble breathing.
The North Carolina Department of Ag says there is no vaccine or cure, but there are things you can do to limit the chances of bringing the disease to your operation.
“Get your animal tested, keep your Coggins test current, use sterile disposable needles, and don’t share needles or medical equipment among horses. If you’re attending an event, we recommend attending events that require negative Coggins tests, most of the bigger events do require negative Coggins for entry. If you’re co-mingling animals or bringing in new animals, we need to have current Coggins on those as well to make sure we’re not introducing positive animals into our population,” said Dr. Catherine Harris, North Carolina Department of Agriculture Livestock Health Programs Director.
Dr. Harris says contact your veterinarian if you have concerns.
