BOLIVAR, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Game Commission recently confirmed several cases of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in white-tailed deer in southwestern Pennsylvania, including in North Strabane and Amwell townships in Washington County and South Park township in Allegheny County. There are suspected cases in Greene and Beaver counties, as well as other communities in Allegheny and Washington counties, according to Andy Harvey, information and education supervisor for the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s southwest branch.
The EHD virus spreads through tiny biting midges, which typically appear in late summer near muddy water. These midges remain a threat until a hard frost. Infected deer may show symptoms like swelling face or neck, loss of appetite, weakness, lameness and excessive salivation.
The game commission also confirmed blue tongue virus detections in Fulton, Lebanon and Montgomery counties. Like EHD, blue tongue virus is a hemorrhagic disease that is more common in livestock but can also deer. The agency monitors deer for virus outbreaks annually.
The public should report any deer moralities lacking visible signs of injury to the agency at 1-833-PGC-WILD. For more information, visit pa.gov/agencies/pgc/wildlife/wildlife-health/wildlife-diseases/epizootic-hemorrhagic-disease.
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