Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) and the Coggin's or Coggins Test in Horses
  by Robert N. Oglesby DVM

Equine Infectious Anemia is a viral disease of horses for which there is no cure, nor is there a vaccine to prevent this disease. Equine infectious anemia is a disease of horses characterized by three clinically distinct forms. These range from a rapidly worsening febrile disease that results in death to a chronic carrier form that appears outwardly healthy . First described more than 150 years ago in Europe, the disease has been seen in the United States for more than 75 years. In 1970 an agar-gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test, the Coggins test, capable of detecting unapparent virus carriers. This test, along with improved knowledge about EIAV transmission, has made effective control of the infection among horse populations a reality. This article discusses how horses get this disease, clinical signs, testing for EIA and its reliability, and the handling of infected horses.

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