Equine Infectious Anemia Andrea Jensen & Emily French.

Equine Infectious Anemia

Andrea Jensen

&

Emily French

Discovery History

Horsey AIDS?… NOT

Species Infects Primary SymptomEIAV Horses Macrophages AnemiaFIV Cats T Cells ImmunosuppressionHIV Humans T Cells Immunosuppression

Lentiviruses

Retrovirus Family Single Strand (+) RNA virus Contains 2 copies Can infect non-dividing cells Contains regulatory proteins Latent or active viral states Spread by blood and other

bodily fluids Long lived virus leading to

reservoir for persistent infection

Virus type present in many vertebrate species

The next 30 minutes of your life…

Transmission

Pathology

Testing and Control

Vaccine research, EIAV/FIV

What does it mean to Me?

Transmission

Vicki 15 min of fame

Viral Life Cycle

Primary Pathology Mature RBC’s destroyed by immune system

Maturation of RBC precursor cells prevented

Other EIAV Symptoms

Depression Fever Enlarged Lymph Nodes Weakness Weight Loss Anorexia Edema Nasal Discharge DEATH

How EIAV Stacks Up

HIV “generally” fatal

EIAV has 30% mortality

FIV is “Kitty AIDS”

So now you know…..

What EIAV is and what it means for the horse.

But what are we doing about it? Mandatory Testing

Federally Mandated Control Measures Vaccine Research

Current Testing • Agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID or Coggin’s)

• Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (cELISA)

AGID / Coggin’s

cELISA

Control Measures

Life-long quarantine

Slaughter

Research

Euthanasia

What this means is…

70% of horses that contract EIAV would

effectively manage the infection….

But…..

100% of horses who have a positive Coggin’s Test

will die as a result of the test.

Vaccines

No.

Yes.

Well, Maybe…

Why do we even care?

Vaccine Research Therapeutic Vectors Immune System

The End