Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA)
Basic Information 
Typical Normal Range (US units; SI units)
Negative. Any positive result is indication of exposure and subsequent infection with the virus.
Physiology
• EIAV can survive in the host as either free viral particles or cell-associated. Upon encountering a susceptible host cell, EIAV binds to a glycoprotein receptor, termed equine lentivirus receptor 1, the viral envelope fuses with the cell membrane, and the virion is internalized. A viral reverse transcriptase enzyme results in production of viral DNA from the RNA genome, which is then inserted into the host cell genome, after translocating to the nucleus.
• The severity of clinical disease is most commonly correlated with circulating viral load. EIAV infects macrophages and endothelial cells most commonly. Subsequently, multiple tissues and organ systems are affected. Increased circulating concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines cause much of the observed clinical signs in acute cases. Most horses, however, are asymptomatic, silent carriers of the virus.
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