Common deer virus found in a Portage County cattle herd
Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) officials have confirmed the discovery of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) – a virus that commonly affects white-tailed deer – in a Portage County cattle herd. Officials stress that EHD poses no threat to human health or to the safety of meat consumption.
The ODA Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Reynoldsburg confirmed EHD in cattle in northeast Ohio. The virus occurs annually in deer herds in some parts of North America but is less common in cattle. The disease in cattle may cause fever, lameness, and sore mouths. Most cattle recover within a few days. In deer, EHD is typically fatal.
Both cattle and deer contract EHD from gnats or biting flies. The virus cannot be spread from animal to animal or from animal to humans. Insects, however, can contract the virus from infected deer or cattle and pass it on to surrounding populations. This summer’s drought has forced animals and insects to common watering spots, increasing the spread of EHD. Typically, the onset of cold weather suppresses the disease as frosts drives insects into winter inactivity.