A Coggins test screens horses' blood for antibodies that are indicative of the presence of EIA. | Photo: Alexandra Beckstett/The Horse

June 7 Update from the Equine Disease Communication Center: “On June 1 the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) confirmed the presumptive positive EIA status of a seven-year-old Quarter Horse tested by the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) Animal Health Laboratory. The positive horse was detected by routine testing and did not show any clinical signs of disease. The positive horse had been housed at the Grants Pass Downs located on the Josephine County Fairgrounds. A quarantine was placed on the facility and an epidemiological investigation by an ODA staff veterinarian was conducted.

“It was determined that there were 37 at-risk horses stabled with the positive horse. Additionally, the investigation discovered another 20 at-risk horses located on three farms in the area. Samples from all 57 horses were collected and submitted to NVSL to determine if any of the at-risk horses were infected with the disease. There was no record of recent interstate travel by any of the at-risk horses. The testing results from the 57 at-risk horses were received Thursday afternoon (June 7) and all horses tested negative. The positive horse was humanely euthanized and removed from the Fairgrounds area on Tuesday June 6. The quarantine that was placed on the Josephine County Fairgrounds has been lifted.”

The Oregon Department of Agriculture’s (ODA) Animal Health Laboratory detected a presumptive positive equine infectious anemia (EIA) horse during routine Coggins testing on May 29