Each year there is a harsh danger that equine animals face. This danger comes in the form of a disease known as equine infectious anemia virus. One study finds that only one fifth of a teaspoon of blood from a horse equine infectious anemia virus can infect 10,000 surrounding horses. Therefore, it is imperative that any potential spread of this disease is stopped as soon as possible. In this post, you will learn more about equine infectious anemia virus.
Primary Causes of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus
The main cause of this disease is spread through equine animals being exposed to a certain kind of fly. This fly contains an anemic virus which is transmitted into the bloodstream of the animal being attacked. Once the blood is affected, this disease often spreads to other parts of the animal’s body. Many of the horses become carriers for this disease and show no signs of infection. These animals are noted for their lower amounts of disease in their blood stream. Only one out of every 6 million horseflies are likely to receive equine infectious anemia virus.
What Makes This Virus Extremely Dangerous
Equine infectious anemia virus is dangerous because of how fatal it is. Horses that are exposed to this virus are at a high risk of dying within mere weeks. As mentioned earlier, this disease is transmitted primarily through blood. Handling syringes that contain infected blood is an extremely dangerous thing to do. The main way to find out if animals are infected is through use of an equine infectious anemia virus antibody test kit. It’s common to find this test kit where you find other veterinary laboratory supplies. This test will look for the presence of this anemic virus in the bloodstream of potentially infected animals.
In summary, equine infectious anemia virus is a rare but serious disease. This disease is mainly spread through certain flying insects infecting the blood of equine animals. You will want to reduce the spread of this disease if it is happening to one of your animals. It’s highly recommended infected equine animals are kept away from the rest of the population. Equine infectious anemia virus is a very dangerous disease that must be taken seriously.