The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has confirmed the state’s worst deer disease outbreak since 2012, with cases of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) found in 11 southwest counties. This article delves into the details of the outbreak, the potential impacts on the local deer population, and the steps being taken to manage the situation.
Deadly Deer Disease — Worst on Record
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed the worst deer disease outbreak in the state since 2012 as Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) has been found in at least 11 southwest counties. Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) is a viral disease caused by the bites of infected midge flies and can be deadly to white-tailed deer.
The outbreak this year is the second worst Michigan has seen since 2012, said Chad Fedewa, acting deer specialist for the DNR Wildlife Division. But he said the local deer numbers will rebound much as they did in 2012 that while the storm “will impact hunting and deer sightings in the near future, there is no biological concerns for overall deer population.”
EHD Symptoms and Spread in Michigan
Deer infected with EHD can show symptoms such as loss of appetite, less fear of humans, weakness, excessive salivation, rapid pulse, increased respiration and fever. Contaminated deer may also browse watered down, to minimize their body temperature. The deer themselves are not infectious to normal deer, but the insects carrying the virus from infected animals back to other animals bite their way down through subsequent deer.
EHD has been detected by the DNR in 11 counties of southwest Michigan: Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun,d Cass, Hillsdale Kalamazoo Kent Ottawa St. Joseph and Van Buren counties The DNR believes the outbreak is widespread, but does not anticipate it to have a large-scale impact on Minnesota’s deer herd. But regional areas could be hit hard if the new bug has high local mortality.
Containing the Outbreak and Notifying Suspected Cases
The DNR is asking the public to report any deer that they find dead or sick with EHD via their online form. This system had recorded nearly 2,000 deer by Wednesday. The DNR stresses the importance of reporting even though testing does not need to continue when the virus has been confirmed in a county.
Property owners that locate deer carcasses should dispose of them appropriately either by allowing them to decompose naturally, burying the deer carcass at an adequate depth or take to an approved landfill for disposal. The DNR also says the disease impacts are usually confined and not on a countywide basis as they mainly affect deer in proximity to water sources with mud exposed, where midge flies typically deposit their eggs.
