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Wisconsin tracking deer disease outbreak, says it’s ‘spreading’
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is tracking a significant outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) affecting the state's deer population, with reports of dead deer increasing from 100 to 600 by mid-August.
- The outbreak has been confirmed in Washington County, with suspected cases in northern Waukesha and Ozaukee counties, part of a broader spread across 24 counties since EHD was first detected in 2002.
- EHD is often fatal to deer, causing symptoms such as excessive salivation, foaming at the nose, swelling, weakness, and unusual behavior like seeking water due to high fever and dehydration.
- The DNR emphasizes that while EHD mortality rates in areas with frequent outbreaks are usually below 25%, Wisconsin's deer populations, especially in high-density areas, may experience much higher death rates.
- Although deadly to deer, EHD poses no risk to humans, and the DNR urges the public to report any unusual deer deaths to aid monitoring efforts.
