BAGUIO CITY – Twenty-one horses that tested positive for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) and bacterial infections at the Wright Park and Camp John Hay trails here are set to be euthanized or permanently isolated.
This was confirmed by City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) which found out after the laboratory examination that 21 out of 58 horses tested positive for EIA while four had bacterial infections.
The horses serve as one of the main attractions in the country’s “Summer Capital” – primarily for horse-back riding.
The infected horses, it added, would either be euthanized or permanently isolated at a distance of 200 to 500 meters away from other horses.
The examination was conducted after the reported death of 27 horses at Wright Park since last March.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong here issued Executive Order No. 56, Series of 2021 requiring the mandatory isolation of all sick horses in this city.
Although EIA is not transmissible to human, it is incurable and could be transferred easily to other horses through biting flies.
“It is a notifiable disease listed in the World Health Organization and must be reported to public health authorities due to health risks,” the EO stated.
Complete recovery from the infection shall only be certified by the CVAO.
It was reported that Wright Park has 250 horses that cater to local tourists.