Rabid deer confirmed in North Carolina

North Carolina wildlife officials have confirmed a rare case of rabies in a dead whitetailed deer in Cherokee County, which borders Polk and Monroe counties in Tennessee.

No Tennessee or Georgia deer have been confirmed with rabies, according to officials with the Tennessee Department of Health.

“We don’t have any concern like that right now in those counties [Monroe and Polk], but we’re always doing surveillance in those counties with our partners, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services,” health department deputy state epidemiologist John Dunn said.

In Tennessee’s eastern counties, state health department officials so far this year have confirmed rabies cases in Bradley, Greene, Hamilton, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox and Sevier. Cases of the deadly disease also have been confirmed in Davidson, Maury, Rutherford and Williamson counties in Middle Tennessee.

Hamilton County’s case involved a bat, while Bradley’s was a cat, records show. The cases in Northeast Tennessee involved bats, skunks and raccoons. The Middle Tennessee cases involved a bat, fox, skunks and a dog.

While there have been no confirmed cases of rabies in Tennessee deer, people should bear in mind that all wild and domestic mammals can carry rabies, Dunn said.

State deer biologist Jonathan Shaw, with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said most people don’t think about deer being carriers of rabies.

“Deer can get rabies. We believe it’s very rare,” Shaw said. “We’ve had seven positives over the past 20 years.”

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spokeswoman Mime Barnes said that although the Volunteer State has no rabies among deer, there is an outbreak of deer hemorrhagic disease, which is no danger to humans. Deer with hemorrhagic disease often are

found dead or dying near water because the fever makes them seek a way to cool off.

North Carolina officials recently received multiple reports of dead deer around water sources and dying deer having trouble standing up, no fear of humans and lack of coordination. Shaw said about 20 of those reports came from Cherokee County.

Rabies, hemorrhagic disease and chronic wasting disease, which also is not dangerous to humans, can exhibit similar symptoms in affected deer, Shaw said.

Hemorrhagic disease is seasonal and transmission ends with the first frost.

North Carolina officials pointed to one noticeable difference in rabid deer.

“The one that tested positive for rabies didn’t have any hair on its head,” Shaw said. “That’s been the case with the last three positives we’ve had.”

People who encounter a deer or any other animal that acts sick or behaves unusually should report the incident.

Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton.