Link Emerges Between EIA Outbreak and Operations at Outlaw Equine in Texas

There is massive issue going on in the horse industry right now: an Equine Infectious Anemia Outbreak (EIA). 

EIA, also known as Swamp Fever, is what horse veterinarians are testing for when they draw blood for a Coggins test.

EIA is a viral disease that affects not only horses, but mules and donkeys. Most who are infected do not show signs which is a very scary part about EIA. If an animal does show signs, then it will show up as fever, anemia, decreased appetite, and blood in feces along with other symptoms.

 The disease can be spread through a variety of ways, one being iatrogenically which is the re-use of blood contaminated syringes and needles, surgical equipment, etc. and that is where this problem has come to the public's attention.

Outlaw Equine Hospital Rehabilitation in Decatur, Texas has had a major issue arise with a multitude of horses testing positive for EIA that were then confirmed to be located in multiple states. These findings are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Angela Pelzel-McCluskey, DVM, MS.

 In September of 2024 the first case associated with this incident was recorded. A 3-year-old barrel racing quarter horse, tested positive, in Wise County, Texas. 

Between October and December there were four more positive cases and all were in Wise County. They were hospitalized by OE in the recent past for other reasons besides EIA. This was concerning, but there was not enough evidence to approach OE at this time per Pelzel-McCluskey. 

More cases started to pop up in early 2025 and all had been seen by OE. The Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners were contacted by the State Veterinarian as multiple complaints had now been filed. A joint investigation was now forming between multiple organizations as 21 horses had now been confirmed EIA positive in California, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas (all linked back to OE at some point). It was important to start identifying any potentially exposed horses for testing (this is an ongoing issue). 

When the head veterinarian was approached he got in front of it and approached clients that he thought could have be exposed informing them that they needed to get their horses tested. He is also in agreement with the findings of the current investigation per the USDA.

There has been a medical history completed for 20 of the 21 horses that tested positive. The common factor: all were hospitalized in the ICU where they had an IV catheter placed. The catheter was routinely flushed by heparinized saline.

The current investigation of the USDA reported that technicians were double dipping into mixed heparinized saline. This caused possible repeated instances of blood contamination in the bottles. This wasn’t a one time thing as cases were reported in May and August of 2024. It was a routine practice for  whoever was doing it as mentioned by the investigation. 

The only way the flush bad could have been contaminated was by using needles or syringes that were coming right out of a horse OR using a syringe that was assigned ONLY to that horse. More than one of the community heparinized solutions had been compromised, evidenced by the length of time of the contamination.

 According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture they do not believe that all horses have been found yet. They need the appointment books from at least May 2024 to October 2024. At the time of publication, it had not been confirmed by the USDA that they had received this information. The investigation has also found mares that received embryos from infected mares. 

Currently there is action going on against the clinic for multiple violations. This includes violations that were not related to the outbreak of EIA as mentioned by Pelzel-McCluskey . There are state and federal agencies looking into OE and the oversight of the EIA outbreak. 

There is no way of telling how many horses these positive cases have come into contact with at this time. It is unfortunate that many horses were euthanized that should still be with us and living their lives. This is an ongoing investigation and this a reminder to all veterinarians and horse owners alike about the importance of bio-security.

The industry has possibly become complacent in this matter and when EIA occurs it becomes deadly and spreads quickly. Everyone is advised to test their horses now, especially those in the states with confirmed cases, as there is no way to know how many horses have come into contact.   

Photo Courtesy of Skillman Veterinary Services