An EIA (Equine Infectious Anemia) test, commonly known as a Coggins test, is a blood test that determines whether a horse is carrying EIA, a viral and deadly disease among equines. There is no cure or vaccine for EIA, making testing critical for disease prevention and control. EIA tests are required in both the United States and Canada when traveling with horses, participating in shows, sales, breeding programs, and for general disease surveillance to prevent the spread of this lifelong infection.
Yes, GlobalVetLink digital EIA tests are officially approved by USDA Veterinary Services for regulatory compliance. Starting April 15, 2020, all veterinarians and laboratories must use USDA-approved EIA test forms. GlobalVetLink’s digital EIA certificates include the statement “Official EIA Test Form, Approved by USDA Veterinary Services March 2020, GVL” and meet all current federal requirements. These digital tests are accepted as official documentation throughout the United States and Canada.
Creating and submitting an EIA test is straightforward: Click “Create” and select “EIA,” select the owner (or create new), add the horse from your list or create a new horse profile, select the laboratory from the dropdown menu, enter your lab account number if required, choose the test type (AGID or ELISA), enter blood drawn and blood sent dates, sign the test, and print the lab submittal form to send with the blood sample to the laboratory. The lab will result the test, and it will automatically appear in your completed EIAs.
HorseSync is GlobalVetLink’s free Progressive Web Application (PWA) that streamlines the creation of horse profiles for EIA tests and health certificates. Using HorseSync, you can capture horse photos directly from your mobile device in the field, enter essential information like age, breed, gender, and color, and sync everything to your GlobalVetLink account when you have internet connectivity. This eliminates the need to manually draw Coggins photos after hours and significantly reduces time spent on administrative tasks.
Once the laboratory results and signs the EIA test, horse owners can instantly access their digital Coggins certificate through MyVetLink, GlobalVetLink’s secure 24/7 online portal. Owners simply need a valid email address on file and must be granted MyVetLink access by their veterinarian. This on-demand access eliminates the need to wait for paper certificates and is particularly valuable for owners who require proof of a negative Coggins for travel, shows, or sales.
GlobalVetLink works with over 160 USDA-approved laboratories in the United States and CFIA-approved laboratories in Canada for digital EIA test submission and resulting. When creating an EIA test, you can select your preferred laboratory from the dropdown menu. If you don’t see your lab listed, contact GlobalVetLink to request that they be added. The platform enables instant digital submission and provides real-time results, significantly speeding up the testing process.
Two test types are available for EIA testing: AGID (Agar Gel Immunodiffusion) and ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay). Not all laboratories run both test types, so you’ll need to confirm with your laboratory which tests they offer before submitting your EIA. Both test types are USDA-approved and accepted for regulatory compliance, though processing times may vary between the two methods.
Yes, GlobalVetLink offers an EIA Batch Create feature that allows you to create multiple EIA drafts simultaneously, saving significant time during peak Coggins season. To access this feature, click “Create” in the upper right corner, hover over “EIA,” and select “EIA Batch.” This is particularly useful for veterinarians conducting barn calls where multiple horses need testing at the same location.
You are only charged for an EIA/Coggins test after it has been signed by you and resulted back from the laboratory. If you create a draft EIA but don’t complete it, or if the laboratory hasn’t processed and resulted the test yet, no charge is incurred. This pay-per-completed-test model ensures you only pay for finished, official Coggins certificates.
Yes, rabies vaccination is an optional field on EIA certificates. While not required by USDA for the Coggins test itself, you may choose to include rabies vaccination information if desired. This can be convenient for horse owners who need rabies documentation for travel or events, as it allows them to have multiple pieces of required health information on a single certificate. Simply enter the rabies vaccination details when creating the EIA test.
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