Deadly viral outbreak ravages deer populations

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleA male white-tailed deer (Getty/iStock)A deadly outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is ravaging white-tailed deer populations across the Mid-Atlantic, including Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The viral infection is transmitted by tiny biting flies, commonly known as 'no-see-ums' or midges, which spread the disease by feeding on infected deer and then biting others. Deer afflicted with EHD typically exhibit symptoms such as internal haemorrhaging, respiratory distress, swelling around the head or eyes, and weakness, often leading them to seek water to cool down. Wildlife officials have documented 97 deer deaths in Maryland and approximately 20 in Virginia this year, attributed to EHD, with outbreaks generally occurring between mid-August and October until the first frost. The virus poses no known risk to humans or household pets, though it can infect livestock; the public is advised not to touch dead deer but to report them to local wildlife agencies. In fullDeer are dying across the mid-Atlantic from a virus transmitted by the ‘no-see-ums’Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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