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In the last century there has been a significant shift in focus in the equine health industry from treatment to prevention. One of the most important advancements in prevention of infectious disease, and one of the most widely known, is the Coggins Test. The Coggins Test can detect equine infectious anemia (EIA) in horses, and by locating and isolating carriers, has prevented the spread of the disease.

The first documented case of EIA was in France in 1843. (Sellon) The disease was first reported in the United States in Wisconsin in 1988. At that time it was known as Equine Relapsing Fever, and it has also been called Swamp Fever and Horse Malaria. (Pavord) There were epidemics in the Wyoming in 1901 and at a New Hampshire racetrack 1947. (sportpolo.com) By 1967 scientists were finally able to propagate field strains which led to better research on the disease.(Sellon)

Researchers discovered that EIA belongs to the same family of virus as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV.) (Higgins) Like HIV in humans, EIA cannot be eliminated from an infected horse. Even though the horse may show no symptoms, he is still a carrier of the virus and can infect other animals. EIA is transmitted primarily through biting insects such as the horsefly, deerfly, and mosquito. It can also be transmitted by contaminated veterinary equipment and needles, from mare to foal before birth, or from mare to foal via contaminated milk.(Higgins)

Along with these important discoveries, in 1970 Dr. Leroy Coggins of Cornell University developed an agar gel immunodeficiency (AGID) test that can detect antibodies for EIA. (sportpolo.com) Based on the Coggins Test, the United States Department of Agriculture implemented a control program for EIA in 1972, and the Coggins became the official test for EIA. This program dictated that all horses that changed ownership, entered exhibition or competition, were imported, or entered an auction or sale market test negative for EIA. Since then, many states require the test to cross state lines, and many stables require it for permission to bring a horse onto the property. Additionally, most states and veterinarians recommend annual testing for any horse.

According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), about 25% of horses in the U.S. are tested annually based on the above criteria. The remaining 75% are wild herds or "backyard" horses that do not come into contact with others equids. Because of these statistics, the true prevalence of EIA is unknown, but it is estimated to have declined from as high as 11.08% on the Gulf Coast in 1972 to .01% in 2003.(Sellon)

Other tests have been developed to detect EIA. ELISA-type tests, or rapid-ELISA tests, can give results in one hour as opposed to the 24-hour requirement for Coggins. However, the Coggins Test is more accurate and the only federally-approved test. ELISA tests are best used to reach a consensus between contradictory test results.(Sellon)

Once a horse tests positive for EIA, he is known as a "reactor." The reactor must be isolated 200 yards away from other equids and retested. All other horses that lived within 200 yards of the reactor are also tested. If the reactor retests positive for EIA, it must be euthanized, shipped in a sealed trailer to an approved slaughter or research facility, or maintain a lifelong quarantine.

As a result of the development of the Coggins Test and the USDA control program, EIA infected horses have been identified and isolated from the population. This has prevented the uncontrolled spread of the disease, and the devastating effects of epidemics on large show or race grounds. While researchers continue to search for a vaccine, we can still rest assured that our horses are safer from this virus than they were 40 years ago.

REFERENCES

Higgins, Andrew J., and Jack R. Snyder. The Equine Manual 2nd Edition. Edinburgh: Elsevier Saunders, 2006.

Thehorse.com, Issel, Charles, April 01 2000, "Coggins Test", October 21 2008, http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=679,

Pavord, Tony, and Marcy Pavord. The Complete Equine Veterinary Manual. Cincinatti: David & Charles, 2004.

Sellon, Debra C., and Maureen T. Long. Equine Infectious Diseases. St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier, 2007.

Sportpolo.com, October 21, 2008, http://www.sportpolo.com/barn/Coggins_Test.htm