JACKSON, Mich. (WILX) – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has confirmed the state’s first cases this year of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, in white-tailed deer.
The disease was detected in deer from Eaton, Jackson, Van Buren, and Washtenaw counties. EHD is caused by a virus spread by biting midges and often leads to sudden die-offs in deer herds.
“EHD is one that we’ve experienced with some increasing frequency in Michigan in recent years,” said Brent Rudolph, deer, elk, and moose management specialist for the DNR. “For many, it is fatal, and it can lead to a large number of deer in a short period of time showing up dead. Often in and around waterways or kind of wet areas. It can be really alarming to the public.”…