Idaho Ron
New member
I got this update from the Idaho Fish & Game.
Ron
Deer Hit by Disease Near Kamiah
Whitetail deer have been hit by a disease in the Kamiah area of the
Clearwater Region, according to Idaho Fish and Game Wildlife Veterinarian
Mark Drew.
I want to reassure everyone that these deer do not have Chronic
Wasting Disease. The symptoms and lesions seen in these deer are not the
same as those of CWD, Drew said.
About 10 days ago, IDFG biologists and conservation
officers in the Kamiah area began noting and receiving reports of dead
white-tailed deer in a small 1-2 square mile area just north of Kamiah.
The estimated number of dead deer is 150-200. Samples from two deer were
sent to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Pullman last
week. Results received yesterday indicated no obvious cause of death in
the two animals.
Dr. Drew, IDFG wildlife biologist George Pauley, and IDFG
Conservation Officer Roger Westfall examined about 15 deer from the area
today. The lesions observed in these animals include massive edema (fluid)
in the lungs and minor hemorrhages in the stomach and intestines. The
cause of death appears to be pulmonary edema (fluid) which results in
difficulty in breathing, foaming at the mouth and unwillingness to move.
Samples were taken from six deer and will be submitted for testing at
several diagnostic laboratories. Results from the current tests are not
expected for a week or more.
There are several diseases caused by viruses that can cause
clinical signs similar to those seen in these deer including Epizootic
Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), bluetongue (BT) and adenovirus. All of these
viruses are spread from deer to deer by gnats.
If this disease is confirmed as EHD, the primary means
of transmission between deer is by biting gnats, Drew said. This is
probably why the disease shows up in Idaho sporadically in dry years when
deer are concentrated near water. It is not transmissible to humans or
domestic livestock. Cattle and sheep in the affected area have shown no
signs of illness.
We have evidence of BT and EHD virus antibodies in deer
and elk from many parts of Idaho based on blood samples collected from live
animals over the past 10 years. We also know that EHD has been confirmed
in several small outbreaks involving deer in Idaho. Three years ago some
deer in the Peck area died of EHD. Two years ago, several deer in the
Weiser area died of EHD. Hopefully, this outbreak will be confined to the
Kamiah area. There are minimal actions that IDFG can take to control the
disease. All disease transmission should cease with the advent of killing
frosts that kill the gnats. Drew said.
Ron
Deer Hit by Disease Near Kamiah
Whitetail deer have been hit by a disease in the Kamiah area of the
Clearwater Region, according to Idaho Fish and Game Wildlife Veterinarian
Mark Drew.
I want to reassure everyone that these deer do not have Chronic
Wasting Disease. The symptoms and lesions seen in these deer are not the
same as those of CWD, Drew said.
About 10 days ago, IDFG biologists and conservation
officers in the Kamiah area began noting and receiving reports of dead
white-tailed deer in a small 1-2 square mile area just north of Kamiah.
The estimated number of dead deer is 150-200. Samples from two deer were
sent to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Pullman last
week. Results received yesterday indicated no obvious cause of death in
the two animals.
Dr. Drew, IDFG wildlife biologist George Pauley, and IDFG
Conservation Officer Roger Westfall examined about 15 deer from the area
today. The lesions observed in these animals include massive edema (fluid)
in the lungs and minor hemorrhages in the stomach and intestines. The
cause of death appears to be pulmonary edema (fluid) which results in
difficulty in breathing, foaming at the mouth and unwillingness to move.
Samples were taken from six deer and will be submitted for testing at
several diagnostic laboratories. Results from the current tests are not
expected for a week or more.
There are several diseases caused by viruses that can cause
clinical signs similar to those seen in these deer including Epizootic
Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), bluetongue (BT) and adenovirus. All of these
viruses are spread from deer to deer by gnats.
If this disease is confirmed as EHD, the primary means
of transmission between deer is by biting gnats, Drew said. This is
probably why the disease shows up in Idaho sporadically in dry years when
deer are concentrated near water. It is not transmissible to humans or
domestic livestock. Cattle and sheep in the affected area have shown no
signs of illness.
We have evidence of BT and EHD virus antibodies in deer
and elk from many parts of Idaho based on blood samples collected from live
animals over the past 10 years. We also know that EHD has been confirmed
in several small outbreaks involving deer in Idaho. Three years ago some
deer in the Peck area died of EHD. Two years ago, several deer in the
Weiser area died of EHD. Hopefully, this outbreak will be confined to the
Kamiah area. There are minimal actions that IDFG can take to control the
disease. All disease transmission should cease with the advent of killing
frosts that kill the gnats. Drew said.
