Walker's Taxidermy

    Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease( EHD)

       EHD is a deadly arthropod-borne viral (arbovirus) blood-borne disease that affects mainly whitetail deer in the southeastern United States. EHD is closely related to the bluetongue virus and cross reacts with it in many blood test. There are two subtypes of EHD and five subtypes of bluetongue in North America. Because disease features produced by these diseases are often indistinguishable, a general trem--hemorrhagic disease (HD) is often used.

        EHD is contracted and spread from biting flies, often known as midges that are commonly know in localized terms such as sand gnats, sand flies, no-see-ums and punkies. It is not spread by direct contact. EHD or any form of HD typically occurs from mid-August through October, and the seasonality of EHD ties in with the abundance of the biting midges. As the weather gets colder and more winter like the midges start to die, and the cases of HD start lessening.

          Some deer infected by EHD will show no symptoms while others show symptoms within a week including hemorrhaging and death. Infected deer run a high fever during the first fews days of the disease, so infected deer can often be found near water trying to cool down.

        Symptoms of EHD or HD include: bloodly discharges; swelling of the face, tongue, neck and eyelids; lameness/cracked, overgrown hooves; extensive hemorrhaging; ulcers in the mouth, on tongue and in the stomach. However, there is an upside to EHD. Studies have shown that deer who survive an outbreak of EHD within their herd are immune for life and does can pass on this immunity to their fawns. EHD does not affect humans and test have shown that eating meat from infected deer is not dangerous. The meat should be thoroughly cooked.

       There is also no evidence that humans can acquire EHD by field dressing a deer but hunters should wear rubber or latex gloves when handling or field dressing a deer.