The Georgia Department of Agriculture has reported that the state has seen five new cases of equine disease in five different counties in the state.
They confirmed a single case of strangles each in Walton and Jackson Counties.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture also confirmed a second 2017 Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) case in Lowndes County. The current case was a 3-year-old Paint horse of unknown vaccine status. The horse was febrile with an acute onset of neurologic signs, including seizures, blindness and an inability to rise. The horse was euthanized due to its poor prognosis. The 2017 total reported EEE cases in Georgia to date are five confirmed and one suspect.
They also confirmed two additional cases of West Nile virus (WNV) in the following counties: Elbert (2-year-old, unvaccinated Miniature Horse) and Walker (6-year-old, unvaccinated horse). Both horses presented with acute neurologic signs. In one case, the horse recuperated with supportive care and in the other case the horse was euthanized due to poor prognosis. The 2017 total reported WNV cases in Georgia to date are four confirmed and one presumptive positive.
The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) works to protect horses and the horse industry from the threat of infectious diseases in North America. The communication system is designed to seek and report real time information about disease outbreaks similar to how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerts the human population about diseases in people.
