The Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed that a Lowndes County horse has tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). Additionally, last month, a horse tested positive for EEE in Brooks County.

As such, public health officials in South Georgia are encouraging residents to guard against mosquito exposure.

“Mosquito-borne illnesses are spread through the bite of an infected mosquito,” states William Grow, MD, FACP, the South Health District’s health director. “The more time someone is outdoors, the more time the person is at risk of being bitten by an infected mosquito; that is why we encourage everyone to take all precautions against mosquito bites.”

A viral disease, EEE affects the central nervous system and is transmitted to horses by infected mosquitoes. Clinical signs of EEE include moderate to high fever, depression, lack of appetite, cranial nerve deficits (facial paralysis, tongue weakness, difficulty swallowing), behavioral changes (aggression, self-mutilation, or drowsiness), gait abnormalities, or severe central nervous system signs, such as head-pressing, circling, blindness, and seizures. The course of EEE can be swift, with death occurring two to three days after onset of clinical signs despite intensive care. Horses that survive might have long-lasting impairments and neurologic problems