Bluetongue, EHD afflicted deer in eastern Washington
9/11/2025 9:57:27 AM
CATEGORIES:
Plants & Wildlife
AFFECTED AREAS:
Spokane County, WA
Stevens County, WA
Walla Walla County, WA
Whitman County, WA
Start Date: 9/1/2025
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Heat and drought permitted bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease to spread among deer in eastern Washington, according to state wildlife officials. The viral infections are caused by biting gnats and can kill deer swiftly.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife began receiving calls the first week of September from people who observed sick or dying deer primarily in Stevens and Spokane counties, and that the calls increased significantly on Monday, September 8. As of September 10, wildlife officials had counted at least 31 cases in Stevens County, 35 in Spokane County and three apiece in Walla Walla and Whitman counties.
WDFW was still waiting for test results from the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory to confirm the outbreaks, but officials were confident that the diseases were present due to the time of year, weather conditions and reports of deer with telltale symptoms – deer acting disoriented, being unresponsive to humans and foaming at the mouth.
In August, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced that it had found deer infected with EHD southeast of Lewiston.
The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.), Sep 10, 2025
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