Deer Disease Outbreak in Michigan: What You Need to Know
A troubling surge in a lethal disease affecting deer has been reported across 12 counties in Michigan. While humans are not at risk, the impact on deer populations is significant.
According to Brent Rudolph from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, “Epizootic hemorrhagic disease — we call it EHD because that’s a lot easier to say — is transmitted by a midge, a small biting fly.” Deer affected by the virus may recover or suffer severe symptoms such as high fever and internal bleeding, often leading to death within days.
Rudolph notes that hunters might encounter multiple deceased deer this fall due to EHD. Although these findings can be unsettling, he emphasizes that humans cannot contract EHD from either the deer or the insect vectors.
“There’s really not anything that can be done to control or manage EHD. The outbreaks happen and they’re more severe when we experience weather patterns that are favorable for these insects,” Rudolph explained.
While EHD outbreaks can drastically reduce local deer numbers, recovery is typically swift. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources urges individuals finding dead deer to submit a diseased wildlife report through their Eyes in the Field online platform. This helps track EHD and other deer diseases.
In addition to EHD, deer can contract chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disorder caused by prions, which is not transmissible to humans. Bovine tuberculosis, however, poses a potential risk to humans through close contact or consumption of undercooked infected meat. This bacterial disease is predominantly found in northeastern Michigan counties.
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