Coggins Tests and EIA

[MNMULE]

I was just pondering this over the other day and thought I’d see what others had to say on the matter. Has anyone out there had any experience with having a positive test anywhere? What do you think about having to have a coggins test annually? I think its starting to get a little overkill, around me (MN) its getting to where they want you to have a coggins test to leave your yard and with fewer than one fifth of one percent of horses in the country testing positive of the one million horses tested annually I just don’t see it being so necessary. Then on top of that the coggins test is really only telling you that your horse didn’t have EIA when they drew the blood. Your horse could become infected the next day and have a year of traveling to events spreading the disease all while having a negative test to his name. I guess I was just curious to what others opinions were on the matter. Also another question, I’m one of those young people that haven’t been around forever, was there a time when EIA was a major threat? Oh and in case anyone was wondering I got my statistic from the USDA in a related article.

[Marshall]

I think it is just a money maker for the guberment.

[lancek]

I agree with mnmule when I moved to mo I went through Ill they stomped me at the border and made me turn around and go back and get one or face a 5,000.00 fine! Now I had to get the test and return two weeks later well I had to board the hose the only place I could find was a friends that had four horse and she didn’t no anything about the coggens test so her horses weren’t tested ether so by putting them in with the other hoses I could have easily got him infected but the vet thought it was perfectly fine to do this in fact he suggested it to me noing full well that my friends horses had never been tested

[Simple Living]

I pulled this from a post of mine on another board with a simalar topic. I believe at one time the Coggins test did help to reduce the cases of EIA. That being said this is still how I feel.

“Shots, Hooves, and deworming I do. Coggins test isn’t worth the paper its printed on. I just wish that people (mostly regulatory/lawmakers) would learn that. For those who don’t know, your horse can be infected 30 seconds after the blood is drawn, so how can a test like that be good for 6 or 12 months. Same goes for traveling health papers, Vet looks at horse today and says it will be healty for 30days????? How does that work?”

Gordon

[TBigLug]

I’ll give ya’ my thought on the whole Coggins testing as far as the “Can be infected after the test is taken…” Like I told Heather, it’s better than nothing. I’d rather take 5 minutes out of my day to find out my horse doesn’t have it than worry. What’s worse, a horse that travels 363 days while infected or a horse that travels 10 years while being infected? I’ve always said, if someone can come up with a better solution, I’m all ears. For now, it’s a low hassle preventative measure for me.

[Author]

Posts