This infectious disease, also known as contagious equine anemia, is usually fatal and is caused by a virus that affects only horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules. The disease is widespread worldwide, but occurs only sporadically in Germany. It is a notifiable animal disease.
The pathogen that causes EIA is a virus with numerous variants. The virus is often transmitted by large blood-sucking insects such as horseflies or black flies, but also by mosquitoes, although the virus can only survive in insects for about half an hour. Transmission over long distances is therefore not possible. This explains why the disease is more common in swampy or riverine areas and during the warm summer months, but remains limited to certain regions. The English name "swamp fever" is also derived from this regional concentration.
Infected animals excrete the pathogen in bodily secretions such as blood, milk, and semen. Direct transmission from animal to animal is therefore possible with close contact, but is rather rare. However, the virus can be transmitted via veterinary instruments or care equipment contaminated with blood. After infection, it only takes a few days for the virus to multiply in the spleen, liver, and bone marrow. The virus invades red blood cells and special defense cells, allowing it to spread throughout the entire organism via the blood. The attachment of defense proteins to the red blood cells causes them to be destroyed, leading to the anemia that gives the disease its name.
By continuously changing its surface structure, the virus evades the body's immune system. Once infected, a horse remains a carrier of the virus for life and is a potential source of infection, even if it shows no symptoms of the disease.
The time from infection to the onset of the first signs of illness (incubation period) varies between a few days and several weeks.
The acute form of EIA is characterized by sudden high fever, weakness, tremors, water retention (edema), and unsteady gait. Characteristic signs of infection are pinpoint hemorrhages on the underside of the tongue, in the mucous membrane of the mouth, and in the conjunctiva of the horse's eyes. Anemia is not detectable at first and usually develops later. During this acute phase of the infection, the animal may die after only a few days.
The subacute form is much more common and manifests itself in repeated fever spikes with a generally less severe clinical picture. Affected horses show typical anemia, apathy, emaciation, and often edema on the limbs and lower abdomen. This form can progress in several worsening phases and also lead to death or develop into the chronic form.
In the chronic form, there may be several months between individual, less severe fever spikes, during which the infected horses appear healthy or show signs of fatigue, emaciation, poor performance, and anemia of varying severity. During an acute flare-up, this form of the disease can also lead to the death of the animal.
In some cases, a so-called latent (= inconspicuous) infection can develop, which means that the pathogen remains in the animal but no signs of disease appear. These animals carry the virus for life and are considered potential sources of infection. Certain factors can cause the disease to flare up again temporarily.
It is difficult for the attending veterinarian to make a definitive diagnosis based on clinical symptoms alone. The symptoms of the disease are non-specific and can also occur in various other diseases. Changes in the blood count indicate EIA, but cannot provide a definitive diagnosis.
In order to make a definitive diagnosis, it is essential to perform the Coggins test. This laboratory diagnostic test can detect antibodies against all strains of the EIA virus approximately three weeks after infection with a diagnostic accuracy of around 95%.
Due to the obligation to report the disease, its control in Germany is regulated by a legal ordinance stipulating that infected animals may not be treated or vaccinated. In the event of an outbreak of EIA, a restricted zone with a radius of one kilometer must be established around the affected farm and animals that are proven to be infected must be killed.
There is no effective vaccine. To reduce the spread of the disease, many countries only allow the import of solipeds if they have been tested negative for EIA.
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