Location: SACRAMENTO, California
The Animal Health Branch of the California Department of Food and Agriculture investigates Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) and Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) in the State's equid population. Since June 9, 2014, twenty one cases have been confirmed positive for EIA and five horses have been confirmed positive to Theileria equi, the causative agent of EP. Three horses were confirmed positive with a dual infection of EIA and EP.
Keeping tabs on horses with infectious diseases
The majority of horses that tested positive for infectious diseases participated in Quarter Horses Racing and had potential exposure to high risk practices such as the sharing of needles and other medical equipment or the use of contaminated blood products.
To date, approximately 157 exposed horses on 11 premises have been tested. Nine of the premises are located in the Central Valley and two premises are located in Southern California. Exposed horses will be retested according to protocols in 45-60 days.
Epidemiologic investigations indicate the majority of the positive horses participated in Quarter Horses Racing and had potential exposure to high risk practices such as the sharing of needles and other medical equipment or the use of contaminated blood products.
Based on the increase in detection, the CDFA recommends increased surveillance in the high-risk population of racing Quarter Horses. Effective July 24, 2014, the California Horse Racing Board requires any Quarter Horse not continuously housed at a CHRB enclosure for the previous 60 days to have a negative Coggins (EIA test) dated after April 1, 2014, to be allowed to enter a CHRB enclosure.
California tests approximately 35,000 horses annually for Equine Infectious Anemia. Historically, one or two cases of EIA are confirmed each year. EIA is a reportable regulatory disease. The management options for an EIA positive horse are humane euthanasia or restrictive lifetime quarantine of the individual horse at least 200 yards from other horses.
Equine Piroplasmosis is considered a foreign animal disease not known to exist in the United States. The management of an EP positive horse are humane euthanasia, lifetime isolation and quarantine, or isolation/quarantine with enrollment in the USDA-approved treatment protocol.