Dead deer reported in Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties

Key Points:

• An outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) has killed at least 600 white-tailed deer across three counties in southeastern Wisconsin, including Washington, Ozaukee, and Waukesha, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
• EHD is transmitted to deer by midges and causes severe internal bleeding, high fever, and organ damage, often killing deer within 3 to 36 hours after symptoms appear; the disease is most common in late summer and fall.
• The outbreak has led to significant local government efforts to remove dead deer, with Richfield public works staff collecting about 90 carcasses, as the number of reports peaked in August but has since declined.
• The DNR continues to receive daily reports of dead deer and will test new cases only if they occur far from the current outbreak area; the virus does not infect humans and surviving deer develop antibodies.
• Local hunters, like Dave Strupp of Hartford, are altering their hunting plans to allow deer populations to recover, highlighting concerns about the outbreak's impact on local wildlife.