A disease affecting white-tail deer is affecting primarily the immediate area — and some parts of the area more than others.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says that as of the end of October, 432 white-tailed deer statewide have been confirmed to have EHD — or, Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease.
Reports of deer with the disease have been confirmed in both Knox and Warren Counties, along with 47 other Illinois counties. But the numbers here do not compare to nearby Peoria and Fulton Counties. Peoria has the largest number of reported cases at 77, followed by 71 in Fulton County.
The state says EHD is transmitted to deer by a midge that hatches from the muddy areas of some waterways. it can cause a high fever in infected animals.
Dead animals are often found near those waterways, but hunters have also discovered them as well. So they’re asking anyone who spots a dead deer to contact their local IDNR biologist.
(Graphic from Illinois Department of Natural Resources)
