Madison – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed that tissue samples collected from one deer in Chippewa County, two deer in Jackson County and one deer in Waukesha County have tested positive for the animal hemorrhagic virus (EHD).
The disease was discovered after landowners reported healthy-looking dead deer near ponds on their properties. The DNR is investigating similar reports in additional counties.
The virus that causes EHD is transmitted between deer by midges, which are minuscule flies also called biting or stealth mosquitoes. The virus does not infect humans, even if someone touches an infected deer, eats venison from an infected deer, or is bitten by infected flies.
Clinical signs of EHD in deer often include excessive salivation, foaming around the nose and mouth, and appearing tender or approachable to humans. Carcasses found in or near water sources can also be a sign, as infected deer often lie in water to nippy off or drink.
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Report a ill, dead deer
Anyone who observes a deer that appears to be showing clinical signs of EHD or is found dead in or near water should contact the DNR promptly. To report a ill or dead deer, please email [email protected] or call (608) 267-0866. The caller must leave a message for wildlife management staff to call back. Reports of ill or dead deer are crucial to better understand the disease.
When reporting a suspected case, callers should provide detailed information on deer counts, deer body/carcass condition, exact location (including county), and contact information. Suspected cases of EHD may be investigated and fresh samples will need to be taken to detect the virus within one or two days of death. The DNR will only test a deer for EHD if the report is for a novel county or location other than where the disease has already been confirmed.
Once decomposed, EHD is not transmitted through corpses or the environment. As a result, the DNR will not harvest or remove deer suspected of having died from EHD. The DNR also advises against contact with found deer carcasses because they may contain other harmful pathogens.
About EHD
EHD is common in the southern and western United States, occasionally occurring in the Midwest. It can be fatal to deer, especially in populations that have had constrained prior exposure to the virus, such as in Wisconsin. The disease is usually short-lived because the flies carrying the disease die with the first strenuous frost. When a deer dies from EHD, it usually happens within seven days of infection.
EHD has been previously identified in Wisconsin, generally with minimal local impact on deer. The first outbreak of the disease was reported in 2012, when approximately 380 deer in Dane and Columbia counties were suspected to have died from the disease.
The most recent outbreak was reported in 2021, but fewer than 20 deer were reported in each of La Crosse and Juneau counties. Until two confirmed cases this year, EHD had not been detected in Wisconsin deer as of 2021.
