- EIA (sometimes called ‘Swamp Fever’) is a viral disease which affects horses, mules and donkeys. Although not necessarily fatal,recovered animals will become carriers of the disease and can infect other horses.
- It can be transmitted through blood-sucking insects and also through the use of contaminated blood or blood products, instruments or needles. Pregnant mares can pass on this disease to their foals whilst in the womb.
- Clinical Signs
- Acute cases experience fever and haemorrhaging 7-30 days post infection. Very few horses with this initial fever are detected by owners.
- Chronic cases experience episodes of fever, weight loss, depression, progressive weakness, anaemia and oedema. Other symptoms which may occur include loss of appetite, frequent,urination, diarrhoea, weakness, paralysis of the hindquarters, paleness of the mucous membranes, yellowish discoloration of the conjunctiva, small pinpoint haemorrhages beneath the tongue, rapid breathing and accelerated pulse.
- Pregnant mares may abort.
- Protection
- There is no known treatment that can eliminate the virus from the body and therefore affected animals are normally slaughtered.
- There is no satisfactory vaccine for EIA. Research work continues on attempting to produce a suitable vaccine. Carrier animals can be detected by a blood test.