Avon Lake Deer Dies By Strange Disease — Blame The Midges

AVON LAKE, OH — Deer in Avon Lake are being killed by the epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), the city announced. The disease is not infectious to people and does not spread from animal-to-animal. The disease has killed both white tailed deer and cattle in Ohio, the state's department of agriculture (ODA) said.

EHD is fairly common, according to ODA. The disease has been detected in dead cattle and deer for the past several years. The disease is spread through the bite of midges (another reason to loathe those little insects). EHD-related deaths will usually stop around the first frost of the year.

Infected deer will show symptoms five to 10 days after being bitten by a midge. Once symptoms hit, the deer usually have about 36 hours to live. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Avon-Avon Lake newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

Symptoms of EHD in deer include: loss of fear of humans, fatigue, hung head, swelling of the tongue, neck and head, difficulty breathing, excess saliva and ulcers in the mouth. The dead deer will usually be found near bodies of water because the deer will feel dehydrated.

The infected deer in Lorain County is the only deer confirmed to have been killed by EHD this year. However, unexplained deer deaths have occurred in Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Ross, Washington, Brown, Highland and Geauga counties, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said. There have also been reports of deer possibly killed by EHD in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia.

A map of reported EHD deaths and suspicious deer deaths can be found here.

Veterinarians have been alerted to the presence of EHD and know to conduct tests for the disease. If residents spot a dead deer in the wild, they should contact the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife at 1-800-WILDLIFE.

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