HEALTH ALERT: Positive Case of Equine INFECTIOUS ANEMIA IN SASKATCHEWAN
An Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) affected premises has been identified in the province of Saskatchewan.
Please note the following information is in addition to what the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) already communicates to stakeholders which includes:
- notification to the relevant provincial veterinary service of any newly affected premises;
- monthly federally reportable disease updates on the CFIA website (10th of each month), which includes the number of affected premises as well as individual animal cases; and,
- communications with the owners or persons directly involved in the case, as outlined in the current EIA program policy.
On March 18, 2019, a positive EIA result was confirmed by the CFIA’s national reference laboratory for a horse located on a premises in the rural municipality of Big River, SK. The horse had been sampled by an accredited veterinarian at the owner’s request after they became aware of a potential epidemiological link to a recently identified EIA-affected premises. No clinical signs of disease were noted at the time of sampling.
As per program policy, a quarantine has been placed on the infected horse and its on premises contact animals. The quarantine will remain until all disease response activities have been completed, including follow-up testing and ordering the destruction of positive cases. Trace-out activities may require the CFIA to undertake actions at additional premises as outlined in the current policy.
Please see the CFIA website for a map of cases. More details on EHV-1 may be found on the CAHSS website.
- 30 -
