PA GAME COMMISSION ANNOUNCES EHD CONFIRMED IN LAWRENCE COUNTY
EHD also confirmed in New York and District of Columbia
HARRISBURG -Dr. Walter Cottrell, Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife
veterinarian, today announced that the test result from an adult male
deer has confirmed that epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) has been
found in Lawrence County.
"Our Wildlife Conservation Officers, Land Managers and other field staff
have been on the look out for evidence of EHD in wild deer," said Keith
Harbaugh, Game Commission Northwest Region director. "We urge anyone
finding dead deer or sick deer to contact our office with specific
information.
"Fortunately, the weather has begun to cool, and we hopefully will soon
have our first good frost, which is expected to kill the insects that
are spreading the EHD virus."
The Northwest Region Office phone number is 814-432-3188, and serves the
following counties: Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Jefferson,
Lawrence, Mercer, Venango and Warren.
Residents in other counties are encouraged to call their respective
regions to report dead or sick deer. Contact information is available
on page 3 of the 2007-08 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting and Trapping
Regulations, which is presented to each license buyer and the agency's
website (
www.pgc.state.pa.us) under the "Regional Information" section
at the bottom of the right-hand side of the homepage.
To provide the public with more information about EHD, the agency has
posted an "EHD Update" page on its website (
www.pgc.state.pa.us). The
website also chronicles the agency's news releases issued about this
outbreak since Aug. 27.
EHD is a common but sporadic disease in white-tailed deer populations of
the United States, and is contracted by the bite of insects called
"biting midges." In more northern states, such as Pennsylvania, EHD
occurs less often and the deer are less able to mount an effective
immune response. The virus usually kills the naïve animal within five
to 10 days. It is not spread from deer to deer by contact. While EHD
is not infectious to humans, deer displaying severe symptoms of EHD are
usually not suitable for consumption because of the rapid deterioration
of the meat and secondary bacterial infection.
"This outbreak of EHD is more significant than the one in 2002 and has
impacted more deer in a larger area," Dr. Cottrell said. "The fact that
we found EHD in early August means that the disease has had the
opportunity to be active longer this time prior to the first good frost,
which is what is needed to kill the insects responsible for spreading
the virus.
"Reports of dead or dying deer are important to us. Though an actual
body count of afflicted deer is almost impossible to obtain, because of
the rapid decomposition and the area where the outbreak is occurring is
large, we still value these reports. Also, tissue samples must be
extracted within 24 hours of death to be suitable for conducting tests.
That is why it is so important that we hear from residents as soon as
possible after they find a suspect deer."
"While there is no evidence that humans are at risk from EHD, other
diseases may be transmitted by careless hygiene when processing deer.
As a routine precaution, all hunters are encouraged to wear rubber or
latex gloves when handling or field-dressing any animal, and wash their
hands and tools thoroughly after field dressing," Dr. Cottrell said.
"As with any wild game, meat should always be thoroughly cooked."
Dr. Cottrell stressed that even though some EHD symptoms are similar to
those of chronic wasting disease (CWD) - such as excessive drooling,
weakness and a loss of fear of humans - there is no relationship between
EHD and CWD.
"However, because these diseases coexist, as many of the deer as
possible that are submitted for EHD testing also are being tested for
CWD," Dr. Cottrell said. "It also is worth noting that like CWD, EHD is
one of those diseases whose mortality rate can be amplified by anything
that serves to congregate deer, such as supplemental feeding, and
placement of salt or mineral blocks. While the disease is not spread
through deer to deer contact, congregating animals through feeding does
make transmission easier by allowing midges that carry the virus greater
access to a larger number of animals in a more confined area.
Therefore, such feeding activities should be discontinued immediately.
"The good news from this situation is that the public is reporting these
sightings to the Game Commission. Should the state's deer herd be
infected with other serious diseases, the Game Commission will need to
rely on the continued vigilance of the public so that we can respond in
a timely manner."
EHD was first confirmed in Pennsylvania in 2002, when an outbreak caused
the death of 70 deer in Greene and Washington counties. That same year,
EHD was confirmed in Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.
In 1996, EHD was suspected to be the cause of death in nearly 25 deer in
Adams County, but test results in that case were inconclusive.
It is rare for this virus to cause clinical signs in traditional
livestock, such as cattle, sheep or goats. On Oct. 11, the state
Agriculture Department announced that it had confirmed EHD in farmed
deer in Franklin County. EHD has been confirmed in cattle in Franklin,
Somerset and Washington counties, but no mortalities were reported in
these cases. As of today, there have been no reports of EHD in wild,
free-roaming deer in Franklin or Somerset counties. Anyone who suspects
EHD in their livestock should contact their private veterinary
practitioner.
Last week, EHD was confirmed in New York and the District of Columbia.
Other states that have confirmed EHD-related mortalities this year are:
Alabama; Colorado; Georgia; Tennessee; Kansas; Kentucky; Illinois;
Indiana; Maryland; Mississippi; Missouri; New Jersey; North Carolina;
South Carolina; Texas; Virginia; Ohio; Pennsylvania; and West Virginia.
