LEWISTON, Idaho – The first confirmed case of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in the Clearwater region has been reported by Idaho Fish and Game. The illness was found in a white-tailed deer in Game Management Unit 11, southeast of Lewiston.
Two other animals are suspected of dying by EHD in the same location.
Reports of deer exhibiting symptoms of EHD have also been reported near Kennewick and Potlatch, but they have not been confirmed yet.
EHD is a virus s[read by biting midgets that affects white-tailed deer. It does not affect humans or pets and it poses little risk to livestock, according to Idaho Fish and Game. Mule deer and elk can be affected, but not as much as white-tailed deer.
Animals sick with EHD often appear weak or disoriented and the disease can cause a significant amount of them to die off in localized areas.
There is currently no treatment for wild deer with EHD and no practical way to control midges that spread the virus.
The illness tends to reduce once cooler and wetter weather kills the midges responsible.
