EHD also confirmed in New York and District of Columbia
HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dr. Walter
Cottrell, Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife veterinarian, today
announced that the test result from an adult male deer has confirmed that
epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) has been found in Lawrence County.
"Our Wildlife Conservation Officers, Land Managers and other field
staff have been on the look out for evidence of EHD in wild deer," said
Keith Harbaugh, Game Commission Northwest Region director. "We urge anyone
finding dead deer or sick deer to contact our office with specific
information.
"Fortunately, the weather has begun to cool, and we hopefully will soon
have our first good frost, which is expected to kill the insects that are
spreading the EHD virus."
The Northwest Region Office phone number is 814-432-3188, and serves
the following counties: Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Jefferson,
Lawrence, Mercer, Venango and Warren.
Residents in other counties are encouraged to call their respective
regions to report dead or sick deer. Contact information is available on
page 3 of the 2007-08 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting and Trapping
Regulations, which is presented to each license buyer and the agency's
website (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us) under the "Regional Information" section at
the bottom of the right-hand side of the homepage.
To provide the public with more information about EHD, the agency has
posted an "EHD Update" page on its website (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us). The
website also chronicles the agency's news releases issued about this
outbreak since Aug. 27.
EHD is a common but sporadic disease in white-tailed deer populations
of the United States, and is contracted by the bite of insects called
"biting midges." In more northern states, such as Pennsylvania, EHD occurs
less often and the deer are less able to mount an effective immune
response. The virus usually kills the naive animal within five to 10 days.
It is not spread from deer to deer by contact. While EHD is not infectious
to humans, deer displaying severe symptoms of EHD are usually not suitable
for consumption because of the rapid deterioration of the meat and
secondary bacterial infection.
"This outbreak of EHD is more significant than the one in 2002 and has
impacted more deer in a larger area," Dr. Cottrell said. "The fact that we
found EHD in early August means that the disease has had the opportunity to
be active longer this time prior to the first good frost, which is what is
needed to kill the insects responsible for spreading the virus.
"Reports of dead or dying deer are important to us. Though an actual
body count of afflicted deer is almost impossible to obtain, because of the
rapid decomposition and the area where the outbreak is occurring is large,
we still value these reports. Also, tissue samples must be extracted within
24 hours of death to be suitable for conducting tests. That is why it is so
important that we hear from residents as soon as possible after they find a
suspect deer."
"While there is no evidence that humans are at risk from EHD, other
diseases may be transmitted by careless hygiene when processing deer. As a
routine precaution, all hunters are encouraged to wear rubber or latex
gloves when handling or field-dressing any animal, and wash their hands and
tools thoroughly after field dressing," Dr. Cottrell said. "As with any
wild game, meat should always be thoroughly cooked."
Dr. Cottrell stressed that even though some EHD symptoms are similar to
those of chronic wasting disease (CWD) - such as excessive drooling,
weakness and a loss of fear of humans - there is no relationship between
EHD and CWD.
"However, because these diseases coexist, as many of the deer as
possible that are submitted for EHD testing also are being tested for CWD,"
Dr. Cottrell said. "It also is worth noting that like CWD, EHD is one of
those diseases whose mortality rate can be amplified by anything that
serves to congregate deer, such as supplemental feeding, and placement of
salt or mineral blocks. While the disease is not spread through deer to
deer contact, congregating animals through feeding does make transmission
easier by allowing midges that carry the virus greater access to a larger
number of animals in a more confined area. Therefore, such feeding
activities should be discontinued immediately.
"The good news from this situation is that the public is reporting
these sightings to the Game Commission. Should the state's deer herd be
infected with other 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."
EHD was first confirmed in Pennsylvania in 2002, when an outbreak
caused the death of 70 deer in Greene and Washington counties. That same
year, EHD was confirmed in Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.
In 1996, EHD was suspected to be the cause of death in nearly 25 deer
in Adams County, but test results in that case were inconclusive.
It is rare for this virus to cause clinical signs in traditional
livestock, such as cattle, sheep or goats. On Oct. 11, the state
Agriculture Department announced that it had confirmed EHD in farmed deer
in Franklin County. EHD has been confirmed in cattle in Franklin, Somerset
and Washington counties, but no mortalities were reported in these cases.
As of today, there have been no reports of EHD in wild, free-roaming deer
in Franklin or Somerset counties. Anyone who suspects EHD in their
livestock should contact their private veterinary practitioner.
Last week, EHD was confirmed in New York and the District of Columbia.
Other states that have confirmed EHD-related mortalities this year are:
Alabama; Colorado; Georgia; Tennessee; Kansas; Kentucky; Illinois; Indiana;
Maryland; Mississippi; Missouri; New Jersey; North Carolina; South
Carolina; Texas; Virginia; Ohio; Pennsylvania; and West Virginia.
Note to Editors: If you would like to receive Game Commission news
releases via e-mail, please send a note with your name, address, telephone
number and the name of the organization you represent to:
PGCNews@state.pa.us
For Information Contact:
Jerry Feaser
717-705-6541
PGCNews@state.pa.us
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