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Two deer found dead in Esopus of EHD

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GrizG:
https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2021/08/04/two-deer-found-dead-in-esopus-of-bug-transmitted-disease-dec-says/

By PAUL KIRBY | pkirby@freemanonline.com | Daily Freeman
PUBLISHED: August 4, 2021 at 3:21 p.m. | UPDATED: August 4, 2021 at 3:43 p.m.

ESOPUS, N.Y. – Two white-tailed deer died in Esopus after contracting an often-fatal disease spread by bugs, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The DEC has confirmed that the deer died of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease.

The DEC is currently following up on reports of several other dead deer in Dutchess, Ulster, and Westchester counties.

The virus is an often-fatal disease of deer that is transmitted by biting midges, small bugs often called no-see-ums or “punkies,” the DEC said.

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The disease is not spread from deer to deer and humans cannot be infected by deer or bites from midges.

The virus was first confirmed in New York in 2007 with relatively small outbreaks in Albany, Rensselaer, and Niagara counties, and in Rockland County in 2011, the agency said.

The DEC said that from early September to late October 2020, a large outbreak occurred in the lower Hudson Valley, centered in Putnam and Orange counties, with an estimated 1,500 deer mortalities.

Once infected with the virus, deer usually die within 36 hours. Outbreaks are most common in the late summer and early fall when midges are abundant. Symptoms include fever, hemorrhage in muscle or organs, and swelling of the head, neck, tongue, and lips.

A deer infected with the virus may appear lame or dehydrated. Frequently, infected deer will seek out water sources and many succumb near a water source, the DEC said.

There is no treatment or means to prevent Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease. The dead deer do not serve as a source of infection for other animals.

“EHD outbreaks do not have a significant long-term impact on deer populations, but deer mortality can be intense in small geographic areas,” the DEC said in a press release. “EHD is endemic in the southern states where there are annual outbreaks, so some southern deer have developed immunity. In the northeast, EHD outbreaks occur sporadically and deer in New York have no immunity to this virus.”

Sightings of sick or dying deer should be reported to the nearest DEC Regional Office or Environmental Conservation Police Officer.

GrizG:
Disease is Not Transmissible to Humans; New Yorkers Encouraged to Report Sick or Dead Deer to DEC

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today confirmed that two white-tailed deer in the town of Esopus, Ulster County, died after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). DEC is currently following up on reports of several other dead deer in Dutchess, Ulster, and Westchester counties.

EHD virus is an often fatal disease of deer that is transmitted by biting midges, small bugs often called no-see-ums or 'punkies.' The disease is not spread from deer to deer and humans cannot be infected by deer or bites from midges.

The EHD virus was first confirmed in New York in 2007 with relatively small outbreaks in Albany, Rensselaer, and Niagara counties, and in Rockland County in 2011. From early September to late October 2020, a large EHD outbreak occurred in the lower Hudson Valley, centered in Putnam and Orange counties, with an estimated 1,500 deer mortalities.

Once infected with EHD, deer usually die within 36 hours. EHD outbreaks are most common in the late summer and early fall when midges are abundant. EHD symptoms include fever, hemorrhage in muscle or organs, and swelling of the head, neck, tongue, and lips. A deer infected with EHD may appear lame or dehydrated. Frequently, infected deer will seek out water sources and many succumb near a water source. There is no treatment or means to prevent EHD. The dead deer do not serve as a source of infection for other animals.

EHD outbreaks do not have a significant long-term impact on deer populations, but deer mortality can be intense in small geographic areas. EHD is endemic in the southern states where there are annual outbreaks, so some southern deer have developed immunity. In the northeast, EHD outbreaks occur sporadically and deer in New York have no immunity to this virus. Consequently, most EHD-infected deer in New York are expected to die. In the north, the first hard frost kills the midges that transmit the disease, ending the EHD outbreak.

Sightings of sick or dying deer should be reported to the nearest DEC Regional Office or Environmental Conservation Police Officer. DEC will collect samples from deer and analyze data from deer reports to determine the extent of the outbreak. In addition, DEC has alerted Department of Agriculture and Markets veterinarians in the region to be aware of the disease and to report suspicious cases among captive deer.

For more information, visit Cornell University's Wildlife Health Lab website.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/press.html

walkabout:
This is not good thanks Griz.

Yotehntr:
Dad found 5 dead along the rondout yesterday. Appears to be mostly up in that area. Haven’t came across anything in orange yet.

GrizG:
Through the woods that's not far from where I hunt... Honestly, with the development, loss of huntable land, and decline in hunters with access to that land, the deer population could use thinning. When the season opens it's not unusual to see 30-50+ deer move through my parents' yard.  They decimate the ornamental landscaping in the area. I was there pruning trees last week and was moving the cuttings with a wheelbarrow. Two bucks (5 and 7 pt) kept following me around the property, often coming within 25 feet. A doe munched on tulip poplar leaves in the waste pile and only stepped aside to let me add more tree brush. It was weird... Then it occurred to me that one of the neighbors uses a wheelbarrow to feed the deer behind his house. I guess they thought I was a roach coach too!

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