b"Arizona Ask the VetREAL COUNTRY THE COGGINS TESTthe magazine THE COGGINS TEST IS THE DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR EQUINE INFECTIOUS Mike Barna ANEMIA (EIA), A DISEASE WITH NO VACCINE OR CURE. It is Publisher also known as swamp fever or mountain fever, and the ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com death rate of infected horses, ponies, mules, donkeys, and zebras ranges from 30-70%. Erika Smith Royal The test was named after its developer, Dr. Leroy Coggins. Dr. Coggins was a veterinarian with a Ph.D. Editor in virology. He studied African Swine Fever in Kenya erika963realcountry@gmail.com in the 1960s and translated his findings to the test to detect antibodies against equine infectious anemia virus (EIA) in 1970. The Coggins test was Misty Voitovski first approved by the USDA in 1973. Dr. Coggins lived in Cary North Carolina, until his death in Creative Director Feb 2014 at the age of 81. The Coggins test remains the most definitive test for EIA. A Coggins test result requires at least 24 hours and may not detect Contributing Writers antibodies until 2 or 3 weeks after the horse has Lee AndersonSam Buchertbeen infected.Jerry CroftBilly White Bird HaughtThere also are four rapid ELISA tests for EIA. ELISA test results can be obtained within an hour. Kris JohnsonJustin Legler The ELISA can detect antibodies earlier and is more Mark MoorheadBetsy Nunn sensitive but has a higher rate of false positives. Testingbeen successful in testing 100% of the horses in their for EIA has been done for years to identify virus carriersjurisdiction. To test every equid would allow us to Jim & Bobbi Jeen OlsonRobert Piekow and to regulate their movement. There are no treatmentseradicate EIA from the population. Each state has its own Bill RobertsAlan Rockmanor vaccines for this lentivirus, which is a relative of HIVset of regulations to monitor EIA. In some areas, testing in humans.has been done regularly over a long period, with very few Bob RoloffJohn Samsill positive cases found in recent years. Hank ShefferMichele Wilson Over the years, the Coggins test has developed a reputation as being health papers or a travel permit.The TestWhile its true that a Coggins is legally required to travelTo perform a Coggins test, a licensed veterinarian must 801 W. Wickenburg Way with horses many have lost sight of the real reason fordraw blood from your horse and send it to an accredited the test. lab for analysis. The lab will conduct a test to detect the Wickenburg, AZ 85390 EIA antibody, a protein that allows the body to recognize How Spread the EIA virus; this will only be present if the horse has (602) 254-6644 The EIA virus is spread through the blood of infectedhad the EIA virus. They will then provide either a positive horses, primarily by large biting insects such as horseflies(antibody is present) or negative (antibody is not present) ArizonaRealCountry.com and deerflies (not mosquitos) so your horse doesnt have totest result back to the veterinarian, who will share it with come into contact with an infected or carrier horse to catchthe horse owner. These results will then be available as the virus. Flies are everywhere so your horse is at risk eveneither a paper or electronic certificate and should be kept if he never travels, or lives in a closed herd.Virus spreadwith the horse's health records. The test results expire one can also occur through blood-contaminated needles oryear from the testing date.surgical instruments. There have been some cases of EIA when blood products, such as plasma, were obtained fromThe following information is generally foundan infected horse and administered to others. on all Coggins tests:Follow Arizona RealOwner information: Owner name, address,Once a horse is infected it may or may not show signs ofphone number.Country for news, events,the disease and may become a carrier for its entire life.Stable information: Point of contact, address,Some horses will also harbor the disease but not showphone number.giveaways and more! signs until they are stressed. These horses do have theVeterinarian Information: Name, clinic, accreditation potential to spread the virus to other horses which makesnumber, address.testing critical.Horse's identifiable information: Name, barn name,Arizona Real Country is owned andbreed registration number, breed, sex, color, age, published by Barna BroadcastingOnly a few horses per 10,000 are infected in the Unitedpermanent identification (microchip, tattoo), pictures or LLC. No person, organization or partyStates. Most cases occur in states along the Mississippidrawings of all markings accompanied with a narrative can copy or reproduce the contentRiver or the southeast. The potential for spreading EIA isdescription of markings.on our website and/or magazine orhighest at congregation points when horses are in closeEquine infectious anemia (EIA) test information:contact. To stop the spread of the infection and disease,Type, lab that preformed the test, reason for testing, date any part of this publication withoutone must know the status of each individual and controlreceived, date reported, and results.a written consent from the editorsthe movement of test-positive animals. The highest-risk panel and the author of the content, asscenario is a congregation point (such as a roping, rodeo,Positive Testapplicable. The publisher, authors andhorse show, trail ride, or other competition) that does notWhat happens when a horse tests positive for EIA? contributors reserve their rights withrequire a negative test for EIA. Positive results on ELISA are usually confirmed by regards to copyright of their work. AGID/Coggins or immunoblotting. Testing laboratories The greatest risk of acquiring EIA today in the Unitedmust report positive EIA tests to local state or federal States is from the untested reservoir population.animal health officials within 24 hours. After the result While two states require annual testing, no one has yetis verified, the law states that the horses owner has two continued on page 7ArizonaRealCountry.com April 2021 5"