Oct 23, 2002 2 min read

The Pennsylvania Game Commission said the 50 white-tailed deer found dead in Greene County and 20 in Washington County appear to have contracted epizootic hemorrhagic disease or EHD. Samples from the deer have been sent for testing to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia. While results will be made public as soon as the Game Commission is notified, archery and muzzleloader seasons are already underway. The disease is not infectious to humans.

Still as a precaution, hunters should be wary of eating meat from any sick animal.

Deer with EHD exhibit similar symptoms of those with chronic wasting disease – excessive drooling, unconsciousness and a loss of fear of humans – but the diseases are not related. EHD is not contagious. It is transmitted by an insect called the biting midges. A good, hard frost should kill the biting midges and curtail the epidemic.

If testing confirms EHD this would be the first such cases in Pennsylvania. The disease was recently confirmed just across the border in West Virginia.

The Game Commission relies on the help of hunters in tracking local deer herds and credits the public with alerting the commission to this threat. Hunters can continue to help by reporting any unusual sightings to 1-877-877-7137.