In Western Pennsylvania, there has been an outbreak amongst white-tailed deer called hemorrhagic disease. The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) says that the infection comes around once every five years in the eastern regions of the United States. In southern regions, the infection comes every year or so, but it is less severe with less mortalities, compared to the death toll in the eastern part of the United States.
According to Dr. Justin Brown, wildlife veterinarian for the PGC, the disease is common and can appear in a variety of ways.
“It is a viral disease that can impact a variety of animals but typically, here, we see it most in white-tail deer,” said Brown. “It is pretty common, but it varies, depending on where you are in the east, how frequently and how severely you see it.”
The disease is spread through an insect called culicoides, also known as midges, which will feed off the infected animal. The disease is spread through the infected white-tailed deer’s blood that the culicoides carry. Brown said that hunters do not need to worry about seeing any infected deer during hunting season because the culicoides will die before then.
“Typically, the outbreak will end with the first frost. Basically, what that does, is that the first hard frost will kill the insect that is transmitting the virus, and so we typically do not see much outbreak beyond that,” said Brown, “so often times, for most of the hunting season, the outbreak will be completed.”
Some white-tailed deer that carry the infection may survive and carry what is called chronic hemorrhagic disease.
“In areas like Greene County, where they experience hemorrhagic disease, some hunters may see [skinny and weak] animals. The problem is that we often see those signs with other diseases that we are worried about, such as chronic waste disease,” said Brown. “If hunters do see animals that are emaciated or weak and sick, we are asking them to contact the Game Commission office to report these animals.”
The good news for hunters is that the virus does not infect humans. That means hunters do not have to worry from a public health standpoint.
“It seems like it has been lower than the previous two outbreaks we have had in 2007 and in 2012,” said Brown. “With that being said, we usually see our highest mortality in Sept. with these outbreaks. So, I think that we are still in a monitoring and a waiting and seeing stage.”
If you or someone you know sees a deer that looks abnormally sick, weak or emaciated, please contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission office at (724) 238-9523 or (724) 238-9524 or email them at pgc-swregion@pa.gov.