Deer are dying across the mid-Atlantic from a virus transmitted by the ‘no-see-ums’
Deadly viral outbreak ravages deer populations
- A deadly outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is ravaging white-tailed deer populations across the Mid-Atlantic, including Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
- The viral infection is transmitted by tiny biting flies, commonly known as 'no-see-ums' or midges, which spread the disease by feeding on infected deer and then biting others.
- Deer afflicted with EHD typically exhibit symptoms such as internal haemorrhaging, respiratory distress, swelling around the head or eyes, and weakness, often leading them to seek water to cool down.
- Wildlife officials have documented 97 deer deaths in Maryland and approximately 20 in Virginia this year, attributed to EHD, with outbreaks generally occurring between mid-August and October until the first frost.
- The virus poses no known risk to humans or household pets, though it can infect livestock; the public is advised not to touch dead deer but to report them to local wildlife agencies.