USAHA News
United States Animal Health Association
Contact - Larry Mark - (703) 451-3954 - webmaster@usaha.org



For immediate release:

USAHA HORSE COMMITTEE CALLS FOR NATIONAL EIA CONTROL PROGRAM

        GREENSBORO, N.C., Oct. 26, 2004 -- Development of a national
program to control equine infectious anemia (EIA) was the key issue 
address by the USAHA Committee on Infectious Diseases of Horses at 
its meeting here this week.

	During the past year, an EIA subcommittee developed a draft 
national EIA control program.  This draft program was approved by the 
full committee.

	"The committee is now calling for USDA's Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS), working with the states and the horse 
industry, to develop a national state-federal EIA control program," 
said committee chair Dr. Peter Timoney of Lexington, Ky.

	Dr. Timoney explained that testing for EIA currently costs 
a large amount of money.  "Through a more rational science-based 
testing program, we can not only reduce these costs but also contribute
to a lower prevalence of EIA and better control of the disease," he
said.  He estimated savings in the range of $11 to $12 million.

	The draft plan calls for states to be placed in one of five 
categories, based on the prevalence of the disease and other factors.

	The committee also called for a two-year moratorium on 
approval of additional laboratories to conduct EIA testing.  

	A report on a pilot program to evaluate a three-tiered 
laboratory system was presented by Dr. Eileen Ostlund with APHIS' 
National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL).  Georgia, Iowa, 
Oklahoma and Oregon participated in the pilot program, which 
required Tier 1 laboratories to forward positive ELISA tests to 
Tier 2 (state/university) laboratories.  Discrepant samples were 
forwarded to NVSL for resolution.

	A number of other issues were discussed, including the 2004 
vesicular stomatitis (VS) outbreak in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado;
method to prevent and control strangles; West Nile virus; equine 
viral arteritis (EVA); quarantine facilities for contagious equine 
metritis (CEM); reclassification of diseases by the OIE, which will 
begin in 2005; and establishment of a working group to discuss 
equine trade and other issues with member states of the European 
Union.  

                              ###