Gluck Center > News > Medical Alerts > Outbreak of EIA in Ireland
Medical AlertsOutbreak of Equine Infectious Anemia in Ireland |
A number of clinical cases of equine infectious anemia (EIA) have been diagnosed in Ireland recently. Until these cases were defined on serologic tests, Ireland considered itself free of the infection and disease caused by EIA virus. Details of the investigations and findings from this outbreak can be found at the website of the Irish Department of Agriculture and Food (http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/). Additional information about EIA and its impact on horses in the US can be found at the websites of the USDA (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahps/equine/eia/) including Uniform Methods and Rules for control of EIA and maps showing distribution of cases from 1972-2005. The outbreak of EIA in Ireland is of interest because it may involve international standards for safety of equine blood products and a potential novel means of iatrogenic transmission of the virus. Drs. CJ Issel and RF Cook from the Department of Veterinary Science’s Gluck Equine Research Center visited Ireland at the request of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association (http://www.itba.ie/index1.htm) and the Irish Equine Centre (http://www.irish-equine-centre.ie/) to share their insights on diagnosis and control of EIA and research on the genetics of EIA virus. For more information contact Dr. Issel at cissel@uky.edu or 859-257-4757 x 81096. |
Maxwell H.Gluck Equine Research Center
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