EHD Reports Spread Across Michigan Deer Herds

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is affecting white-tailed deer across parts of Michigan, especially in the southern Lower Peninsula, with reported hotspots including Jackson and Hillsdale counties and areas around Saginaw Bay. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has created a township-level map of suspected cases and is asking residents to report sick-looking or dead deer, while cautioning that reports and confirmed cases do not provide a complete count of deaths or the disease’s full spread. EHD is transmitted by biting midges, typically emerges in late summer and early fall, and outbreaks generally subside after frost kills the insects. The disease can cause substantial losses in localized areas, but officials say it poses no human health risk from eating venison from a deer that appeared healthy; they advise against consuming visibly sick deer.