GAME COMMISSION LOOKING INTO DEER DEATHS IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officers are investigating the cause of death of more than 50 white-tailed deer in Greene and Washington counties.
Game Commission biologists recently submitted samples for testing from four deer (three males and one female) to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia and Penn State University Animal Diagnostics Laboratory, and continue to gather information about other dead deer being found. Once the results are available, the Game Commission plans to release the findings to the public.
"While we must wait for test results to confirm just what caused these deer to die, at this time, we are suspecting that the deer died of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), based on fields signs that we are seeing," said Dr. Walter Cottrell, Game Commission wildlife veterinarian.
In 2002, EHD was confirmed in the southwest corner of Pennsylvania (see News Release #099-02 in the 2002 Archives of the Newsroom on the agency's website -
www.pgc.state.pa.us). That same year, EHD was confirmed in Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.
EHD is one of the most common diseases among white-tailed deer in the United States, and is contracted by the bite of insects called "biting midges." EHD usually kills the animal within five to 10 days, and is not spread from deer to deer. While EHD is not infectious to humans, deer displaying severe symptoms of EHD may not be suitable for consumption.
Cottrell stressed that even though some EHD symptoms are similar to those of chronic wasting disease (CWD) - such as excessive drooling, unconsciousness and a loss of fear of humans - there is no relationship between EHD and CWD.
Cottrell also pointed out that EHD should be curtailed with the first hard frost, which will kill the insects that may be spreading the disease. He noted that EHD, unlike CWD, is a seasonal disease and the affected local deer herd can rebound quickly.
"The good news from this situation is that the public is reporting these sightings to the Game Commission," Cottrell said. "Should the state's deer herd be infected with more serious diseases, the Game Commission will need to rely on the continued vigilance of the public so that we can respond in a timely manner."
Game Commission Southwest Region Director Matt Hough urged residents to report unusual sightings by calling the Region Office at 724-238-9523. The Southwest Region serves Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Residents in other counties are encouraged to contact their respective regions.
In addition to the confirmation of EHD in southwestern Pennsylvania in 2002, EHD was suspected to be the cause of death in nearly 25 deer in Adams County in 1996. However, tests conducted at that time were inconclusive
