As deer in neighboring states drop useless from a viral illness, Massachusetts wildlife officers say they’re “keeping a close eye on” whether or not any instances pop up within the Bay State.
Both New Hampshire and Connecticut in latest weeks have reported deadly instances of epizootic hemorrhagic illness, a viral illness of white-tailed deer that’s unfold by a biting insect known as a midge.
“We haven’t had any positive cases so far, but we’re keeping a close eye on it this year,” mentioned Martin Feehan, deer and moose mission chief with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, noting the quite a few experiences in Connecticut, together with a big outbreak in New York final 12 months.
“New Hampshire had its very first confirmed case this year, so that’s another reason why we have been very vigilant with testing,” he mentioned.
The biting midges — generally known as sand gnats, sand flies or no-see-ums — transmit the illness to deer in standing water.
Outbreaks of hemorrhagic illness are likely to happen when drought situations are prevalent, and occur in late summer season and early fall attributable to a rise in midge numbers.
“If people see a lot of deer die in a small area, especially around a water source, that’s one of the most distinct signs for EHD,” Feehan mentioned.
“People who see deer that are still alive, symptoms of EHD are the deer is very disoriented and is circling continuously, showing abnormal behavior,” he added. “They could have some form of swelling on their neck, face and ulcers.”
Deer which are contaminated with EHD endure from excessive fever and dehydration. They additionally could also be frothing on the mouth, and would possibly present a scarcity of worry of individuals.
Hemorrhagic illness doesn’t infect people, and persons are not in danger by dealing with contaminated deer, consuming venison from contaminated deer, or being bitten by contaminated midges. The illness hardly ever causes sickness in home animals, equivalent to cattle, sheep, goats, horses, canine and cats.
Last month, a white-tailed deer that was discovered useless in New Hampshire’s Merrimack County examined optimistic for EHD — the primary time the state’s Fish and Game division has ever documented EHD within the state.
In Connecticut, the primary optimistic case this 12 months got here from a deer present in Goshen. A second optimistic deer was discovered on a property in Kent, the place an extra 5 deer have been discovered useless. The third optimistic case was from a property in East Haddam, the place an extra three deer have been discovered useless.
Feehan mentioned if anybody in Massachusetts sees deer that seem to have died from EHD or are at present displaying signs of the illness, they need to attain out to MassWildlife headquarters, district places of work, or Massachusetts Environmental Police.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”