LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is asking the public to be on the lookout for unexplained death or illness of deer, pronghorn, elk, and bighorn sheep. Due to conditions in certain areas of the state, deadly diseases may spread easier among big game populations.
Any sightings of unhealthy big game animals or unexplainable deaths should be reported to a Nebraska Game and Parks Commission office in Alliance, Bassett, Kearney, Gretna, North Platte, Lincoln, Omaha, or Norfolk.
The disease is called epizootic hemorrhagic disease or EHD. The symptoms are similar to those of bluetongue disease, another illness that can kill wildlife and livestock. While the diseases do not affect humans, they can be destructive to big game populations.
For both EHD and bluetongue disease, certain tiny midges or gnats bite a host and move the virus to nearby animals. Infected animals often seek water for relief and die in or near it. When animals congregate in the water during drought, the insects have the potential to spread the virus to more animals. The highest chance of spread for these diseases is in late summer until the first frost.
The August 3 report from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows conditions in eastern Nebraska that are ideal for the spread of EHD. More information about EHD can be found here.
