Deer are falling prey to insect-borne disease
DEC asks hunters to report when they find dead animals
More and more deer are being felled by an insectborne disease and, as hunting season begins, state officials are asking hunters to report instances in which they find the dead animals in the woods.
Biologists at the Department of Environmental Conservation wildlife pathology lab in Delmar have been getting reports of dead and sick deer this fall and are collecting carcasses to confirm the presence of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD.
The illness has already been confirmed in parts of Greene and Ulster as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties.
So far DEC has received 750 reports of dead deer in those areas although the disease may have spread elsewhere. EHD was also spotted in Albany County more than a decade ago.
The illness isn’t transmittable to humans or other animals, but hunters are nonetheless being urged to avoid handling or eating deer that may have been infected.
The EHD virus is carried by biting midges, small bugs often called no-see-ums or punkies.
Outbreaks usually start in late summer and early fall when the midges that carry the virus are abundant.
Once infected, deer usually die within 36 hours. Symptoms include fever, hemorrhages in the muscles or organs, and swelling of the head, neck, tongue and lips. A deer infected with EHD may appear lame or dehydrated.
They are often found near streams, ponds or other water sources due to dehydration.
The disease has been endemic in Southern states for a number of years and research suggests that drought conditions can help is spread to the north.
“Recent research in fact has been tied to drought as an indicator and predictor of EHD outbreaks,” said Matt Ross, assistant conservation director for the Quality Deer Management Association, a group that works on deer conservation.
Archery season for deer and bear started Oct. 1 in the state’s Southern Zone, which runs to below the Adirondacks and North Country.
Hunters or anyone else who believes they have encountered a deer felled by EHD can contact the DEC at https:// www.dec.ny.gov/ about/558.html.
Despite the outbreak, wildlife experts say the state’s deer population is robust overall.