Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) is a contagious viral disease that mainly concerns breeding operations, since it can cause abortion in pregnant mares and some stallions can become long-term carriers that shed the virus in semen.
What Is EVA?
EVA is caused by the equine arteritis virus, spread through respiratory secretions or, notably, through breeding — either live cover or artificial insemination with infected semen.
Symptoms
Fever, swelling of the limbs and around the eyes, respiratory symptoms, and, in pregnant mares, abortion are the primary signs, though many infected horses show only mild or no symptoms at all.
Some stallions can become lifelong carriers of EVA without showing any symptoms themselves, continuing to shed the virus in semen indefinitely.
Management
Testing stallions before breeding, vaccinating at-risk horses, and following your vet's protocols for breeding farm biosecurity are the main tools for managing EVA risk.
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