PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks has been receivingdocumenteddeermortalities in due to hemorrhagic disease, also known as epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) or blue tongue. EHD was recently confirmed by laboratory analysis in deer from multiple SD counties.

This disease is common in white-taileddeerandistypically detectedinlatesummerorearly fall. Minor deer losses to EHD can occur in any given year in South Dakota, but weather and habitat conditions will dictate the severity of the disease. EHD is not infectious to humans. For more information on the EHD virus visit gfp.sd.gov/epizootic- hemorrhagic-disease. Thevirusisspreadbyabiting midge and causes extensive internal hemorrhagingininfected animals. Many deer exhibit no clinical signs and appear perfectly healthy, while others may have symptoms such as respiratory distress, fever, and swelling of thetongue.Withhighlylethal strains of the virus, deer can be dead within 1-3 days. Affected deer are often found near low lying areas or water, likely due tothedeerattemptingtocombat the high fever.

With fall approaching, landowners and hunters will be in the field and may encounter such mortalities. GFP asks anyone who observes sick deer or finds several dead deer in a localized area to contact their local conservation officer or GFP office . This information is valuable to wildlife managers in monitoring deer populations across the state.

EHDoutbreakscanbelocally severe, but rarely affect a high proportion of the deer population in a management unit. In 2016, the disease affected deer populations in certain areas of eastern South Dakota and license adjustments were made in some management units to react to these unforeseen mortality events. Deer can continue to succumb to this disease until a hard freeze reduces the midge populations that carry the disease.