Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Kills Hundreds of Deer in Pennsylvania as Warm Fall Keeps Midges Active Into November
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — A frequently fatal deer disease has continued spreading across southwestern Pennsylvania this fall, with new cases still appearing in November. Matt Kramer, a field supervisor with the state Game Commission, said on November 6 that epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) has killed hundreds of deer in northern Washington County, western Allegheny County and all of Beaver County.
EHD and bluetongue viruses are spread by biting midges and normally stop circulating after the first hard frost of fall, but this year's warm autumn has let the midges survive longer. Kramer said temperatures reached 82 degrees on November 5 and some areas had not seen a strong enough frost — the latest he has seen the outbreak persist in his 19-year career — with midges spreading the virus for at least three months.
Game Commission veterinarian Andrew DiSalvo confirmed positive cases in six counties statewide from summer through October. Positive cases in Washington County were found on September 18 and 21, and in Allegheny County on September 29 and October 13. Officials urge anyone who finds multiple dead deer with no clear cause of death to call the Game Commission at 833-742-9453 to report them for testing.
Source: Erie Times-News
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 白尾鹿（Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 3.0）
