EHD Progression

[Labrador]

With recent low temps, I think the end to EHD may be near (for this year). However, I have a question: do the deer bleed when infected?

Sounds like a dumb question, but I'll set up the situation: I was scouting public land yesterday and found 4 carcasses and 2 blood trails. The carcasses were from 2 does, a fawn, and another deer for which the head wasn't in the immediate area. The 2 blood trails weren't in the vicinity of the found carcasses. Both blood trails were HEAVY and recent...since blood would have been washed away by last week's rains. I didn't bother to follow the blood trails because I was looking for sign of LIVE deer, not dead ones.

The area is only open to bowhunting and isn't pressured heavily.

So...do deer infected with EHD bleed externally prior to succumbing to the disease???

[Labrador]

Found on another site:

Penned deer on game farms have an increased risk. So do wild deer that are forced to share limited water supplies during the hot, dry weather of late summer. EHD outbreaks end when the first hard frost of autumn eliminates midges.

About one-third of deer infected with EHD die. Symptoms include weakness, open sores or swelling of the mouth and tongue and bleeding from the mouth, nose, eyes or anus. Thirst accompanies these symptoms. Consequently, affected animals often die near water.

"Deer with EHD die of internal bleeding," says ******. "The disease usually progresses very rapidly in deer that are most susceptible. They may appear perfectly healthy one day and be dead two or three days later."