Second Lowndes County, Georgia, Horse Contracts EEE

Officials announced last week that the first Lowndes County horse had tested positive for the disease.
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South Georgia public health officials have announced that a second horse residing in Lowndes County has tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).

Officials announced last week that the first Lowndes County horse had tested positive for the disease. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service indicates that Georgia reported 25 equine EEE cases in 2013.

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; fatality rates reach 75-80% among horses. Horses that survive might have long-lasting impairments and neurologic problems

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