Published: October 12, 2007 03:57 pm      

BREAKING NEWS: Game Commission confirms case of deer disease in Cambria County

HARRISBURG — Dr. Walter Cottrell, Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife veterinarian, today announced that test results of dead deer have confirmed that epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) has been found in Cambria County.

Results released today involved a juvenile male that was found dead in Westmont. However, there have been no other reports of sick or dead deer in Cambria County.

Other counties in which EHD has been confirmed in wild, free-ranging deer are Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. The Game Commission has received reports of EHD affected deer in other counties as well, but still is awaiting laboratory results.

On Oct. 11, the state Agriculture Department announced that it had confirmed EHD in farmed deer in Franklin County. EHD has been confirmed in cattle in Franklin, Somerset and Washington counties, but no mortalities were reported in these cases. As of today, there have been no reports of EHD in wild, free-roaming deer in Franklin or Somerset counties.

“Our Wildlife Conservation Officers, Land Managers and other field staff have been on the look out for evidence of EHD in wild deer,” said Rob Criswell, Game Commission Southcentral Region director. “We urge anyone finding dead deer or sick deer to contact our office with specific information.

“Fortunately, the weather has begun to cool, and we hopefully will soon have our first good frost, which is expected to kill the insects that are spreading the EHD virus. Also, as we have not found EHD in the wild, free-roaming deer in Franklin County, we do not expect that hunters will notice any impact on local deer densities.”