Confirmed Case Of Deer Disease Reported In East Haddam: State

EAST HADDAM, CT — A white-tailed deer in East Haddam has a confirmed case of hemorrhagic disease, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). The DEEP said that three additional deer have been found dead in East Haddam as well.

Two other positive cases of the disease were found in Goshen and Kent. The disease was first confirmed in the state in 2017, and this is the third year that there have been confirmed cases.

Reports to DEEP of dead deer in multiple other towns, mainly in the northwest and southeast of the state, fit the description of animals affected by the disease, according to a DEEP statement.

There are several different forms of hemorrhagic disease, but it usually kills the animal within one to three days of infection. Symptoms of hemorrhagic disease in deer include swollen head, neck, tongue, or eyelids with a bloody discharge from the nasal cavity; erosion of the upper dental pad or ulcers on the tongue; and hemorrhaging of the heart and lungs, causing respiratory distress.

Additionally, the virus creates high fevers, leading infected deer to be found near water sources. Not all symptoms are present in every infected deer.

Hemorrhagic disease is transmitted by biting midges, commonly referred to as sand gnats, sand flies, or no-see-ums.

There has not been a significant negative impact on the long-term health of deer herds in states where the disease has been detected because only localized pockets of animals tend to be infected within a geographic area, according to the DEEP.

The DEEP Wildlife Division is encouraging anyone who observes deer appearing emaciated, behaving strangely, or lying dead along the edge of waterbodies to report the information to the DEEP Wildlife Division at Andrew.labonte@ct.gov or by calling 860-418-5921.