Deer Dying from EHD Across Indiana

Source: Sabih Jafri / Getty

STATEWIDE- Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) has been detected in deer across Indiana, says the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

While humans can’t contract EHD, it can be fatal to deer, but some deer can recover and develop immunity.

“The biting midge, a small insect, transmits this disease. When it’s more abundant and the deer are found in the same areas that the midge are found, that’s how this can spread. And it can kill dill very rapidly,” said Joe Caudell, deer biologist with the DNR Fish and Wildlife.

Caudell says a significant number of suspected EHD cases have been reported in deer in Wabash, Allen, Pike, Warrick, Miami, Huntington, and Porter counties along with additional reports typical for what is reported each year in 22 other counties.

“But when we start having these late summer, dry times, that’s when we start seeing an increase in deer deaths from EHD across the state,” said Caudell.

Deer that have EHD can display unusual behaviors like lethargy, excessive salivation, or disorientation. It also causes fever in deer, which can cause them to seek water. As a result, many deer that die from EHD are found in or near open water sources like ponds and rivers.

Caudell also acknowledged that deer hunting, especially in rural communities, is important to the economy.

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“That’s why we don’t have a long-term decline in the deer population and we’re keeping a close eye on this,” said Caudell.

If you find a deer that is showing signs of EHD or you find one dead in water, you are asked to report it by going to on.IN.gov/sickwildlife.

“After they report that, the biologists see those reports as soon as they hit submit, so that helps them keep track. That public reporting is what cued us in to all of this in the first place,” said Caudell.

The severity of EHD can depend on a variety of factors including climate, immunity, and other ecological factors. Not every deer in an affected area will contract EHD. One sign a deer has recovered from EHD is sloughing or breaking on their hooves.

You can hear the full interview with Caudell below.

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