Ohio Tracks Two Deadly Deer Diseases

Wildlife officials in Ohio are monitoring two distinct diseases that threaten the state's deer population. Clint McCoy, the deer program administrator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, described the two illnesses as a short term threat and a long term concern.

Hemorrhagic disease, caused by a virus spread by midges, struck parts of northern Ohio this year. The outbreak affected Lorain and Portage counties. McCoy noted that the disease is less damaging now because surviving deer build up antibodies after their initial exposure. Warmer weather linked to climate change favors the midges that carry the virus, which helped the disease devastate populations in southern Ohio last year.

Chronic wasting disease presents a more persistent challenge. McCoy stated that he does not believe the disease has been detected anywhere in the country without eventually spreading. It is caused by an aberrant protein fragment called a prion that lodges in a deer's brain. The disease is fatal and can take up to 18 months to kill an animal. During that period, the infected deer can spread the prion to others through contact or via contaminated soil, water, or plants.

Because prions can remain in soil for years, McCoy said the disease is impossible to eradicate once it is established. While it is unknown if the prion can infect humans, officials encourage hunters not to eat deer that test positive for the illness.

Surveillance efforts are tightening as gun season begins later this month. Hunters will be required to submit all deer taken from Allen, Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties for CWD testing. Parts of Crawford, Morrow, Delaware, Union, and Hancock counties are also included in the mandatory testing zone. The state harvests approximately 220,000 deer annually.

Officials are asking citizens to report dead or sick deer to help track the spread of hemorrhagic disease. This data assists the department in understanding how the virus moves through different regions of the state.