Ireland reports first cases of EIA

Jun 23, 2006

The Department of Agriculture and Food in Ireland have confirmed the country's first recorded cases of equine infectious anemia (EIA). The disease has been detected in a small number of horses in the counties of Meath and Kildare and investigations into the outbreak are continuing. It is not known at this time whether any of the affected horses are Thoroughbreds.

Equine infectious anemia is an incurable viral disease that attacks the horse's immune system and the virus is transmitted by the exchange of body fluids from an infected to a non-infected animal. Once infected, an animal can act as a carrier and transmitter of the disease and the only way to control the spread of the disease is to put the infected animal down.

Many racing and breeding people in India will remember that EIA entered this country in the mid 80's and it took stringent measures by the racing authorities and government departments to bring this disease under control. EIA is most commonly detected with the Coggins test and today the entire Thoroughbred population in India is tested regularly for EIA.