Equine Infectious Anemia Andrea Jensen Emily French Discovery

Equine Infectious Anemia Andrea Jensen & Emily French

Discovery History

Horsey AIDS? … NOT

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 FIV is “Kitty AIDS” § EIAV has 30% mortality

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 (c. ELISA) AGID / Coggin’s c. ELISA

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