Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) has been reported in white-tailed deer in several east Kentucky counties.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife received confirmation from the Georgia-based Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study August 9 of a Kentucky deer with a strain of the disease.
“Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease is not transmittable to people or pets,” said Dr. Iga Stasiak, state wildlife veterinarian. “However, we always recommend that hunters avoid eating venison from deer that were obviously sick.”
EHD is a viral disease transmitted to deer through the bite of a midge or gnat. The disease has been present in the United States for more than 60 years.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife receives and confirms EHD deer mortalities sporadically, with a small number of mortalities each year. Larger outbreaks tend occur every 5 to 7 years. Outbreaks cease at the first frost, which kills the biting bugs.
Gabe Jenkins, big game coordinator, said small outbreaks of EHD also have been reported in the mountainous areas of Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. The department is receiving a growing number of suspected cases.
“We’re monitoring this situation closely,” Jenkins said. “If we receive little rain between now and the first frost, the numbers could increase because deer are drawn to water. Midges breed along mud banks, so drought would concentrate the deer around larger bodies of water and make them more susceptible to infection.”
Deer can exhibit signs of illness within 24 to 72 hours after receiving a bite from an infected midge. Infected deer may appear sluggish and unresponsive to humans. EHD causes dehydration and fever in deer, which causes the animals to seek water. Infected deer are often found dead near bodies of water. Kentucky last had significant outbreaks of EHD in 2007 and 2012.
Anyone who finds a sick deer or a deer they suspect may have died from EHD is encouraged to report the finding to the Department of Fish and Wildlife by calling toll-free (800)858-1549 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT.
Reports can also be emailed to info.center@ky.gov. Reports should include name, contact information, county and date the deer was found, number of deer found and whether the deer is sick or recently deceased.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources also asks hunters to report any observation of deer that appear to have died of natural causes. EHD primarily affects white-tailed deer and is most noticeable during the late summer and early fall from August to October.
For more information on this disease, visit here.