News

Cases of deer infected with Hemorrhagic Disease continue to rise; hunting season brings focus to deer health

by Kate Evans

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) — an acute, infectious, often fatal viral disease that attacks white-tailed deer  — is getting the attention of DNR officers and hunters as fall sets in.

The disease is characterized by extensive hemorrhages and oral lesions and has been found in white-tailed deer in the northern, eastern and southeastern United States and southern Canada.

A similar hemorrhagic disease called bluetongue also occurs throughout the United States and Canada.

No cases of the disease have been reported in Morgan County, but nearby counties in the state are seeing an uptick in the virus and neighboring Washington County, Maryland is part of an area being watched for outbreaks.

Transmission

The Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) virus is transmitted by a Culicoides biting fly or midge (no-see-um).

The disease isn’t transmitted directly from one deer to another, said Ethan Barton, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources wildlife disease specialist in Romney.

A white-tailed deer must be bitten by a midge carrying the virus to become infected.

The first occurrence and identification of EHD occurred in 1955 when several hundred white-tailed deer died in both New Jersey and in Michigan, according to information from the Michigan Division of Natural Resources.

Other states have had significant outbreaks of the disease, including Michigan in 1974 and Hardy and Hampshire Counties in West Virginia in 1993.

West Virginia cases

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources just confirmed positive cases of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in whitetail deer in Monongalia, Marion, and Barbour Counties in  West Virginia.

Barton said that 18 West Virginia counties have had confirmed cases of EHD, including Hardy and Jefferson Counties.  They have a couple of test samples from Hampshire County that they’re waiting for the results to come back from the lab.

It’s been the third busiest year for EHD — especially in the Northern Panhandle and the middle of the state, said Barton.  Some years more than half the state has reported cases.

There have been big blow-ups of the disease in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017, Barton said.  2019 was quite active and so was 2024. Sometimes drought conditions are a factor, sometimes not.  EHD can also occur when it’s very wet — it’s hard to predict.

Areas with lots of midges and lots of deer concentrated in one area can cause outbreaks.    Eventually it can snowball until cooler weather and a hard frost kill the midges.

Not every deer gets infected with EHD and not every deer with it dies, Barton said.  Over time, some animals survive.  They may get weak, have immunosuppression and get strange infections from bacteria that are not usually seen.

Wildlife officials haven’t had any reports of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) yet from Morgan County.   Barton noted that any deer found dead with no visible injuries during the late summer and early fall should be considered a potential Hemorrhagic Disease case.

Barton said that anyone that finds a dead deer or a sick deer in or next to a body of water-a creek, pond, river or lake-should report it to the Romney Division of Natural Resources office at 304-822-3551.

     “We’re relying on the public to be our eyes and ears,” Barton said.

Maryland

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources advised hunters that Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) has been confirmed in Maryland and is the likely cause of death for deer in many counties across the state.

The disease has also been reported in the neighboring states of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Virginia and is common in the eastern United States and in the southeastern states.

This year confirmed and suspected cases of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease have been found on Maryland’s Eastern Shore counties, central and southern Maryland and in western Maryland in Garrett County.

The largest outbreak in Maryland has been seen in Washington, Frederick and Carroll Counties.

Signs of disease

Clinical signs of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)  and bluetongue are very similar.  The disease comes on very suddenly in white-tailed deer.

Symptoms include swelling of the face or neck, loss of appetite and fear of humans, progressive weakness, lethargy, excessive salivation, rapid pulse, respiratory distress and fever.  Animals with EHD often lie in bodies of water to reduce their fever.

Deer become unconscious, hemorrhage and develop swollen blue tongues and oral lesions.  They may have cracked hooves. Infected animals go into shock and die withing 8-36 hours of the onset of clinical signs.

Other signs of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) include a dark red or purple tongue, rectal bleeding, bloodshot eyes and frothing from the mouth or nose, Barton said.

Outbreaks

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) has a very high mortality rate and can reduce numbers of deer in a specific area drastically.

Outbreaks involving large numbers of deer are single episodes which do not recur. Die-offs involving small numbers of deer occur almost annually.

Documented outbreaks of EHD have occurred during late summer and early fall (August-October) and have ended within two weeks of the onset of the first heavy frost, which kills the midge.

Report sick deer

Any wildlife that exhibit abnormal behaviors, appear to be sick, or are found dead from an unknown cause should be reported by contacting your local Division of Natural Resources or Wildlife Heritage office in your state.

Be ready to provide your location, contact information, the date you observed the animal(s), the number of affected animals, species (if known), and status (alive or dead or with signs of illness).

In West Virginia, the Division of Natural Resources in this district can be reached by calling 304-822-3551. The Maryland DNR Wildlife Headquarters can be reached by calling 410-260-8540.

EHD is not a threat to human or pet health, Barton said.  The virus doesn’t spread through contact with infected deer or handling the meat or people getting bitten by midges.

Barton said that hunters aren’t generally going to know if their deer previously had EHD and recovered.  Usually deer with the disease are in fairly good shape, unless it’s chronic EHD.  Hunters will check to see if there are obvious signs that the deer they’ve harvested is ill, such as having lesions or greenish meat or being emaciated.

Hunters are advised not to consume meat from any known infected animals or ones that appear sick.

Barton said that there is more concern about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) than Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease.

CWD is a chronic persistent disease that is a real sustainable threat to the deer herds.  Deer bounce back from localized outbreaks of EHD as you don’t see outbreaks back to back in the same areas, he noted.

Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic Wasting Disease was first diagnosed in West Virginia in 2005, Virginia in 2009, Maryland in 2010, and Pennsylvania in 2012.

As of April 2024, there have been 714 total reported cases of Chronic Wasting Disease in West Virginia-617 in Hampshire County, 36 in Berkeley County, 26 in Hardy County, 16 in Morgan County, 15 in Mineral County and four in Jefferson County.

While many animals that are infected with Chronic Wasting Disease may show no symptoms, an infected animal’s symptoms can include drastic weight loss and emaciation (wasting), stumbling, tremors, lack of coordination,  blank facial expressions, excessive salivation, loss of appetite, excessive thirst and urination and listlessness.

Chronic Wasting Disease can affect animals of all ages.  There is no treatment, vaccine or live animal test for the disease.