Nye County horse tests positive for equine infectious anemia, quarantine ordered
A Nye County horse tested positive for EIA, triggering a quarantine and fresh testing rules for anyone moving horses into or out of Nevada.
A Nye County horse tested positive for equine infectious anemia, and the Nevada Department of Agriculture quarantined the facility and all exposed horses to stop the disease from moving any farther. The Nevada Department of Agriculture confirmed the detection on Feb. 3, 2026, and the exact premises is being kept confidential under Nevada law.
EIA spreads through blood contact, especially through biting flies such as horseflies and deerflies, and through contaminated needles, syringes, IV tubing, blood products and other equipment. It does not spread through coughs, sneezes or casual contact, and it cannot be transmitted to humans. Even so, it can force an immediate quarantine, disrupt boarding operations and delay sales, shows and transport for anyone whose horses were exposed.
Dr. Peter Rolfe, the Nevada Department of Agriculture’s state veterinarian, is working with local veterinarians to protect Nevada’s animals. Nevada requires horses, donkeys and mules entering the state to have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and proof of a negative EIA test within 12 months, and negative EIA tests are also required for movement between states. That means trailers headed to or from a boarding facility, training barn or event site can be stopped if paperwork is missing or a horse has not been tested on time.
EIA has no treatment, and infected animals that survive become lifelong carriers. Those animals must be euthanized or permanently isolated from other equids to prevent spread. The disease can cause fever, weakness, swelling, an irregular heartbeat and a low red blood cell count, symptoms that should prompt a call to a veterinarian. Veterinarians must notify the Nevada Department of Agriculture when EIA is detected because it is a reportable disease.
APHIS recorded 1,292,655 EIA tests nationwide in 2024, with 147 positive horses on 63 premises. Nevada recorded 15,201 tests that year and no positive horses or premises. NDA board reports later showed the January case on the same Nye County premises led to more testing, which found two additional horses positive for both EIA and piroplasmosis and one more positive for piroplasmosis only.
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