A horse in Bryan County, Georgia, has tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), the Georgia Department of Public Health Coastal Health District reported Aug. 29.

The virus has also been detected in the mosquito population in western Chatham County and a horse in Effingham County tested positive for EEE earlier this month. 

In 2016 Georgia confirmed five equine EEE cases in five different counties, according to USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service statistics.

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