Mississippi -- The Baton Rouge Advocate carried a story on August 28, 2000 about horses that have been diagnoses with equine infectious anemia:

PICAYUNE, Miss. - Forty-eight horses from two riding stables have been diagnosed with a virus that requires the animals be isolated, destroyed or sold for slaughter.

All but two were sold for slaughter. State Veterinarian Dr. James Watson said the two horses not sold were pets and were buried on the property.

Watson said a horse from Circle G Riding Stables in Picayune was found in early July to have Equine Infection Disease, or Coggins disease.

More infected horses were discovered at the stables later that month and still more at Absolutely Pappa Lee's Riding Stables.

Watson said the horses were carriers, which means they had the virus in their bloodstreams but did not show any symptoms of being sick.

Watson said a second class of the disease, in which the horse is obviously very sick, was not found at either stable.

The infected horses were found after a horse being sold tested positive for Coggins and was traced back to Circle G Riding Stables.

State regulations require horses to be tested for the disease before they are sold or moved to public facilities, Watson said.

Tests on horses at Absolutely Pappa's Riding Stables also came back positive, Watson said.

"Their horses mixed down in the woods, so we knew there was exposure," he said.