Chapter 12. Equine Infectious Anemia

“Accredited veterinarian” means a licensed veterinarian approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

“Approved pesticide” means any pesticide which is recognized and approved by the Department or the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an effective agent in the control or eradication of possible insect or arachnid vectors of equine infectious anemia.

“Department” means Maryland Department of Agriculture.

“Equine infectious anemia (swamp fever)” means a disease of equines caused by a virus which is infectious in nature and spreads from horse to horse by blood sucking insects, unsterile surgical instruments (especially hypodermic needles) and the community use of equipment that produces cuts and abrasions. The virus can infect both sexes, all age groups and all breeds and species of equines. Infected animals remain carriers of the disease for their entire lifetime, constituting a potential source of spread. The disease may be acute or chronic or inapparent. There is no known cure or treatment.

“Horse” means any member of the equine family, including horses, mules, asses, zebra, or other equidae.

Official Test.

“Reactor” means a horse over 9 months old whose blood reacts positively to an approved serological test for equine infectious anemia performed by an approved laboratory.

“Secretary” means Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary’s designee.

“Suspect horse” means a horse showing clinical evidence of equine infectious anemia without confirmation by tests.

Equine infectious anemia is proclaimed to be a disease of transmissible nature and henceforth shall be known as a dangerous transmissible disease.

Report of Tests. All tests for equine infectious anemia shall be reported to the Department. Tests conducted in an approved laboratory within the State shall be reported on official forms furnished for this purpose. Veterinarians submitting blood samples for tests in laboratories outside Maryland shall furnish a copy of the test record to the Secretary immediately upon receipt of the test results from the testing laboratory.

Report of Disease. A person having knowledge of the existence of equine infectious anemia or knowledge of an animal afflicted with or suffering from equine infectious anemia anywhere within the State shall immediately make a written report to the Secretary, giving the name and address of the owner or person in charge of the animal and the place where the animal is kept.

Identification of Reactors. Horses which disclose a positive reaction to an official test shall be presented by the owner to the Department and permanently identified by a representative of the Department, using a visible body brand, by applying the letter “A” preceded by the number "51" and followed by a number assigned by the Secretary to indicate individual identification. An animal under 9 months old which reacts positively to an official test shall be quarantined and retested when 9 months old, and if positive at that time shall be subject to permanent identification and continued quarantine.

Quarantine. A horse found to be infected with equine infectious anemia shall be quarantined on its home farm or such other premises as may be approved by the Secretary until death. However, the Secretary may authorize the movement of infected animals to approved facilities for research purposes or for slaughter to approved facilities. The infected animal shall be segregated from all other horses in approved isolation facilities or, at the alternative of the owner, destroyed without indemnity. Isolated quarantine facilities and animals located in them shall be treated with an approved pesticide at such intervals as directed by an authorized representative of the Department.

Movements into Quarantined Facilities. Horses shall be moved into quarantined isolation facilities under special permit under such conditions as may be approved by the Secretary. These animals assume the same status as animals under quarantine.

Movement from Quarantined Facility. Foals born in quarantined facilities and found negative before reaching nine months of age, and other animals negative on tests before entry into the quarantined facility and found still negative on test before removal may be moved to new non-infected premises but will remain under quarantine in the new location until a second negative test is made, not sooner than 30 days after removal from the original infected, quarantined facility.

Unaffected Horses on Quarantined Premises. Horses not infected which are located on premises where infected animals are properly quarantined in isolation are not considered to be under quarantine and may be moved from the premises intrastate.

For Shipment into Maryland. All equines over 9 months old entering the State shall have been found negative to an official test for equine infectious anemia made within 12 months before entry, and shall be accompanied by a copy of the official negative test result or be consigned directly to a market or auction licensed by the Department.

For Exhibition. All equines over 9 months old assembled for supervised exhibition in the State shall have been found negative to an official test for equine infectious anemia made within 12 months before the date of the event. The supervisor of the event shall ascertain that a copy of the official negative test results accompanies each equine to the event and shall make a list of the entries and their test status available for inspection by a representative of the Secretary upon request.

Change of Ownership.

For Markets or Auctions. Horses may be assembled at a market or auction without a negative test for equine infectious anemia, only if:

Each buyer of a horse or horses at the market or auction shall be required to sign a release form indicating agreement to maintain such horse or horses at a specified location until notified of the results of the test. Horses with negative at a specified location until notified of the results of the test. Horses with negative test results may move in normal trade channels. Owners of horses that react to the test shall comply with Regulation .02 of this chapter, pertaining to quarantine. Maryland licensed equine slaughter buyers may move horses tested with pending results directly to an approved equine slaughter facility immediately after the sale.

The State Veterinarian may grant exceptions to the requirements under §§D and E of this regulation as the circumstances warrant, if they are not in variance with other rules and regulations governing the State.

Exemptions. Slaughter equines purchased in Maryland or in another state by Maryland licensed livestock dealers and assembled in Maryland before shipment to an approved market or slaughter establishment are exempt from testing requirements. This exemption shall apply only to properly identified equines that are kept separate and apart from other equines on a premises previously approved by the Secretary and are not held over 15 days before shipment. The type identification used shall be approved or specified by the Secretary.

Retest of Reactors. A horse reported as a reactor on an initial test may be retested one time by a State or federal veterinarian before affixing a permanent identification on the animal.

Quarantine of Exposed Animals. If the reactor shows clinical evidence of equine infectious anemia or an epidemiological investigation so indicates, all horses on the premises where the clinical reactor is found will be quarantined and movement allowed only after a negative test. During the period when biting insects are present, a second negative test will be required in not less than 60 days from the date of the removal of the reactor from the quarantined premises.

Cost of Tests. As to tests made in Department laboratories, a charge of $5 will be paid to the Department for each official test sample received. Samples will be run only when submitted by an accredited veterinarian. The accredited veterinarian shall be responsible for the laboratory fee.