[ANON POST] Swamp Fever in Horses
This seems like it should be an easy detail to find, but I've searched my old Pony Club manuals and the "Horse Owner's Veterinary Handbook," as well as Wikipedia and other online sources to no avail
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Clinical Findings
The clinical findings and course of EIA are variable, depending on the virulence of the virus strain, viral dose, and susceptibility of the horse. After an incubation period of 15-45 days or longer in naturally acquired cases of infection, classic cases of the disease progress through three clinical phases. An initial or acute episode lasting 1-3 days is characterized by fever, depression, and thrombocytopenia. Because these signs can be mild and transitory, they are often overlooked. Typically, this initial phase is followed by a prolonged period associated with recurring episodes of fever, thrombocytopenia, anemia, petechiation on mucous membranes, dependent edema, muscle weakness, and loss of condition. The interval between episodes can range from days to weeks or months. In most cases, the episodes of clinical disease subside within a year, and infected horses become inapparent carriers and reservoirs of EIA virus. Many of these horses remain clinically normal.
Although the foregoing represents the most commonly described clinical course of the disease, some outbreaks of EIA can be associated with peracute infection in which the primary viral infection is uncontrolled; this can result in a very high fever, severely reduced platelet counts, and acute depression, leading to death. In view of the wide variation in response seen in natural cases of infection, it is not possible to confirm a diagnosis of EIA based solely on clinical grounds.
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