(Story courtesy of WVLT News)
Nashville, TN (WVLT / WSMV) The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) reports a disease in white-tailed deer has been confirmed in eight counties in the Volunteer State.
The TWRA found hemorrhagic disease (HD) in deer from the following counties:
- Franklin
- Giles
- Humphreys
- Lewis
- Shelby
- Sumner
- Wayne
- Williamson
The agency shared that HD is a naturally occurring disease in deer, typical in the southeast U.S.
“These viruses are transmitted by a biting midge (known as no-see-ums), not directly between deer. HD is not known to cause disease in humans either through insect bites or through handling or consuming meat from infected deer,” the TWRA said. “HD occurs seasonally, but the severity is highly variable year-to-year, ranging from a few infrequent cases to highly visible outbreaks. Outbreaks are known to be linked to environmental conditions that impact the midge life cycle.”
Deer may become thin, and their tongue might hang from the mouth. Those symptoms may be accompanied by drooling, lack of fear and the whites of the eyes may appear red.
“Usually, sick, dying, or dead deer are found in or near water as they try to relieve fever symptoms. However, not all deer that succumb to HD will look sick. Midges will die off with the first hard frost, but already infected deer may exhibit symptoms for several weeks after,” the TWRA said.
So, what do you do if you find a sick or dead deer? You’re asked to report it at https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/twra/sickdeer.html.
“TWRA staff may reach out to you if there is an opportunity to collect a viable sample for HD testing. Testing can only occur within 24 hours of death,” the agency said.
