Whitetail Deer (EHD) Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease.

We have been receiving calls concerning deceased deer on residential properties due to (EHD) Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease.

Our highway department is unable to pick up the deceased deer due to lack of manpower/no location to dispose of them, you will need to contact the DEC @(845) 256-3000.

EHD virus is an often-fatal disease of deer that is transmitted by biting midges, small bugs often called no-see-ums or 'punkies.' The disease is not spread from deer to deer and humans cannot be infected by deer or bites from midges.

Once infected with EHD, deer usually die within 36 hours. EHD outbreaks are most common in the late summer and early fall when midges are abundant. EHD symptoms include fever, hemorrhage in muscle or organs, and swelling of the head, neck, tongue, and lips. A deer infected with EHD may appear lame or dehydrated. Frequently, infected deer will seek out water sources and many succumb near a water source. There is no treatment or means to prevent EHD. The dead deer do not serve as a source of infection for other animals.