Second Weld County horse tests positive for incurable, viral disease

By Kelsy Schlotthauer | kschlotthauer@greeleytribune.com

PUBLISHED: September 28, 2018 at 2:13 p.m. | UPDATED: May 13, 2020 at 3:28 a.m.

Horses exchange glances as they play in October 2016 in a field off 95th Avenue in west Greeley near the Poudre Learning Center. (Tribune File Photo)

[swift-infobox title=”Equine Infectious Anemia FAQ“]

What is Equine Infectious Anemia?

Equine Infectious Anemia is a viral disease spread by bloodsucking insects, inappropriate use of needles, or other equipment used between susceptible equine animals such as horses, mules and donkeys. Horses may not appear to have any symptoms of the disease, although it also can cause high fever, weakness, weight loss, an enlarged spleen, anemia, weak pulse and even death.

How is it spread?

It is spread most commonly through blood by biting flies such as horse flies and deer flies. It is important for horse owners use fly control methods to reduce disease transmission for EIA and other equine viruses.

What happens to an infected horse?

There is no cure for the disease, so infected animals must be quarantined for life or euthanized.

Is there a danger to people?

No. The disease can only be spread to horses, mules and donkeys.

Is the disease common?

No. There has only been a small number of cases in the United States, although the disease exists in other parts of the world. A map of cases from the year 2015 is available here.

How is the disease controlled?

Equine Infectious Anemia is a disease for which horses must be tested annually before they can be transported across state lines. The test for EIA is commonly called a Coggins Test. The horse at Arapahoe Park last tested negative in May of 2015.

Source: Colorado Department of Agriculture

[/swift-infobox]The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s State Veterinarian’s Office was notified of a second Weld County horse that tested positive for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) on Friday.

The case is unrelated to the first this year in which a Weld horse facility was placed under a quarantine order after a horse tested positive for the disease in late August. Christi Lightcap, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Agriculture, said then she would not disclose the location of the horse or affected facility.State officials were working to locate about 140 horses sent across the state that shared a location with the first EIA-positive horse after the news. The number of horses affected quickly grew, and officials grappled with the scope of the infectious outbreak in mid-September.”While the investigation is in its initial stages, it is clear the affected horse is unrelated to horses, locations or movements to the previous case in 2018,” State Veterinarian Dr. Keith Roehr said in a news release. “The affected horse and other horses on the second Weld County property are subject to a quarantine, which restricts movement of any horses on or off the property. The remaining horses on the facility will be observed, tested and then retested in 60 days. It is important to note that the risk of disease transmission to other horses in Colorado at this time is low, due to the fact that there are not any horses housed on adjacent properties, which also lowers the risk of biting horse flies in the area.”