ATHENS COUNTY, Ohio — An outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease is killing deer in southeast Ohio, and Athens County is at the epicenter.
Among the most common deer diseases, Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease is spread by small biting flies called midges. Deer infected with the disease may lose their fear of people, have visibly swollen facial features and may lose their appetite, according to the National Deer Association. Deer infected with EHD often die near bodies of water, as the disease also causes high fevers and dehydration.
“There’s cases of [EHD] that are documented every year throughout the Midwest,” said Lindsay Rist, a wildlife communications specialist for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources…