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| Arenavirus |
This is the time of the year when deer tend to succumb to hemorrhagic disease, also known as epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), or blue tongue.
The disease is common in white-tailed deer and is typically detected in late summer or early fall.
The virus is spread by a biting midge and causes extensive internal hemorrhaging. Many deer exhibit no clinical signs and appear perfectly healthy; other deer may have symptoms such as respiratory distress, fever, and swelling of the tongue.
With highly virulent strains of the virus, deer can die in three days or less. Affected deer are often found in low-lying areas or near rivers or ponds, where they go to combat the high fever.
People who see sick deer or find several dead deer in one locale are asked to contact their local conservation officers or call the Pierre GFP office at 605-773-5913.
EHD outbreaks can be locally severe but rarely affect more than 25 percent of a local deer population. In rare cases, the disease will affect more than 50 percent.
Deer may continue dying from hemorrhagic disease until a hard freeze reduces the midge populations that carry the disease.
EHD is not infectious to humans. For more information on the EHD virus visit http://www.vet.uga.edu/scwds/
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