A deadly viral outbreak is ravaging white-tailed deer populations across the Mid-Atlantic through tiny biting flies also known as “no-see-ums.”
Late last month, wildlife officials in the Washington, D.C. region received a report of a deer found dead near a pond close to Dulles International Airport with no signs of trauma,The Washington Post reports.
Tissue samples from the animal’s spleen later confirmed that the deer had succumbed to epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), a often-fatal viral infection.
Midges—tiny biting flies smaller than mosquitoes and often called “no-see-ums”—spread the virus by feeding on the blood of an infected deer and then biting another, Krysten Schuler, associate research professor and director of the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, told The Washington Post.
The Post added that there have been reports of deer carcasses appearing in wooded areas, meadows, and near streams throughout Maryland and Virginia.
Deers who succumb to the disease are often found by streams as they battle to counteract the symptoms. (Getty Images)
The virus typically affects white-tailed deer between mid‑August and October, because the insect vectors are active then. Once a frost arrives, the midges die off and the outbreak generally subsides, Kevin Lamp, deer project leader for the Maryland DNR’s Wildlife & Heritage Service, told the outlet.
In Maryland, officials have documented 97 deer deaths so far this year across nine counties that are probably related to the outbreak, with the heaviest losses in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties.
Virginia’s wildlife agencies say about 20 deer likely died from EHD this year in Loudoun, Fairfax, and Arlington counties, fewer than last year’s toll of some 80 deaths across seven counties.
The disease has also appeared in nearby states, including Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported.
Deers who contract EHD are typically symptomatic within a week. The virus causes internal haemorrhaging, loss of appetite, respiratory distress, swelling around the head or eyes, and weakness.
As their body temperature rises, afflicted deer often wade into creeks or ponds to cool off, which is why many recoveries are found near water. Some survivors may exhibit hoof abnormalities, such as splitting nails or ridges.
Though alarming for wildlife populations, the virus poses no known risk to humans or household pets. It can infect livestock like cattle or sheep, however.
Experts caution that deer harvested with severe sores or open lesions should not be consumed.
If you come across a dead deer, wildlife officials urge the public not to touch or move the animal. Instead, contact the local wildlife or natural resources agency.
In Virginia, residents can report suspected EHD deaths to vawildlifeconflict@usda.gov, while Marylanders should reach out to their county’s Wildlife & Heritage Service office.
Officials rarely remove carcasses unless they pose a hazard, and most are left to decompose naturally.