Horse show season is right around the bend, and equine
veterinarians are already performing this year’s Coggins Tests. Equestrian
facilities, horse show venues, and animal transporters require proof of
negative Coggins results. What is this annual diagnostic tool, and why do
equine practitioners bother with it?
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| Photo adapted by The Mane Point from ABS FreePic image. |
NOTE: Written by this author, this copyrighted material originally appeared on another publisher’s site. That site no longer exists. This author holds all rights to this content. No republication is allowed without permission.
What does a Coggins
Test diagnose?
This blood test, performed annually, identifies exposure to
equine infectious anemia (EIA). EIA is a dangerous
retrovirus that is often spread by affected insects (such as mosquitoes and
flies) that bite equines in barns, pastures, riding rings, or the wild. The
blood-borne virus may also be transmitted through the use of shared hypodermic
needles or syringes. Pregnant mares may
pass EIA to their unborn foals as well, particularly
if the dams display clinical signs of EIA during their pregnancies.
This disease affects various equids – such as burros, donkeys,
mules, ponies, and horses.
EIA, also known as swamp
fever or horse malaria, tends to cause such symptoms as:
- anemia
- arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
- depression
- diminished appetite
- enlarged spleen
- excessive sweating (without exercise)
- fever
- loss of energy
- nasal bleeding
- rapid breathing
- swelling (usually of the abdomen, chest and legs)
- weak pulse
- weight loss
Abortion and colic are additional possibilities with EIA.
There is no vaccination or cure for EIA at this point. Full-blown
EIA infections generally prove fatal to equines within a matter of weeks.
However, these animals may contract milder cases, causing them to become lifelong
carriers of the virus and potentially experience multiple flare-ups of the
disease.
This article is copyrighted by The Mane Point: A Haven for Horse Lovers. Unauthorized reproduction or publication is not allowed.
The Coggins Test, named for the veterinary scientist who
developed it, identifies the presence of EIA antibodies in the blood of
affected equines. When this is found, it indicates an equine is EIA-positive,
meaning that animal is a viral carrier and a potential transmitter of infection
to other horses.
The official Coggins Test result documentation includes a
detailed equine description and several photographs (including certain equine
head and full-body shots) taken by the veterinarian taking the blood sample and
submitting it to an approved laboratory. Coggins tests formerly included
vet-drawn sketches of horses’ markings, marked directly on equine head and equine
body outlines on multi-layered (carbon copy) forms. Historically, the equine owner received a yellow copy.
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| Traditional Coggins Test form - fair use |
What happens to
Coggins Test results?
Coggins Test results, which take about two weeks after
equine blood draws, are routinely filed with state agricultural department
authorities. Equine owners must carry originals (and often photocopies) of
current year Coggins Test results, usually accompanied by recent veterinary
certificates, when transporting their animals to equestrian facilities, events,
sales, or even veterinary locations.
In recent years, Coggins tests have become available online (see sample here).
Veterinarians provide equine owners with web links to their own animals’
reports, so owners can print copies as needed.
The vast majority of
Coggins Test results are negative, largely because equines are routinely
tested. However, an equine may be infected soon after receiving a negative
Coggins Test. Because such tests are generally administered once (or perhaps
twice) annually, the risk is present throughout much of the year.
Equines testing positive for EIA are often euthanized.
Otherwise, they are generally quarantined in bug-proof enclosures (and perhaps freeze-branded
or tattooed by official USDA representatives), if they survive even a few
weeks. If one equine tests positive at a given location, others in the herd or
facility must also be tested.
The USDA mandates reporting of all positive IA diagnoses.
Image/s:
Adapted from public domain artwork
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