SPRINGFIELD – Through October the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has received reports of 432 suspected cases of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD, in white-tailed deer.
EHD is a viral disease of white-tailed deer that can cause a high fever, and dead animals often are found near water sources. While often fatal to deer, EHD is not hazardous to humans or pets. EHD has been shown to affect livestock, so producers are encouraged to be vigilant. EHD appears to be at low to moderate levels in counties on or near the Illinois River, including Putnam and Bureau County. The state is still experiencing far fewer cases than in 2012, when nearly 3,000 deer were discovered to be suffering from the disease. The IDNR continues to ask landowners, hunters, and concerned citizens to be on the lookout for dead or dying deer, and to report suspected EHD cases.
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