EHD outbreak confirmed in deer in these West Virginia counties

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) has been confirmed in West Virginia’s white-tailed deer, but the Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) says it’s “not a long-term threat.”

Samples from Monongalia, Marion and Barbour counties tested positive for the viruses associated with the disease, which is transmitted by small biting flies, according to a release from the WVDNR. Although the disease has some “concerning” effects, the WVDNR says it is not contagious to humans and “is not a long-term threat to the overall health or sustainability of the deer population in West Virginia.”

“Deer populations in impacted areas will rebound with next year’s fawns and migration from adjacent areas,” Paul Johansen, chief of the WVDNR’s Wildlife Resources Section, said in the release.

The flies that cause the spread of the disease should be killed off by the first hard frosts of the season, according to the WVDNR.

EHD can cause deer to be weak and lethargic, unresponsive, but according to the Maine Department of Wildlife , the disease is fast-acting and mostly only confirmed in deer that have already died.

EHD is not related in any way to chronic wasting disease (CWD), which also affects deer and has been confirmed in six West Virginia counties .

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