LANSING - The Department of Natural Resources, collaborating with Michigan State University, said it has confirmed two cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in deer from Kent County and has two additional suspect cases at the DNR's Wildlife Disease Laboratory in Lansing.
The infected deer originated in two townships south of Rockford, a community just north of Grand Rapids. The Michigan Department of Agriculture also recently confirmed three cases of EEE in horses in Michigan, including two in Kent County.
Michigan becomes only the second state in the country to document EEE in free-ranging white-tailed deer. The first case was documented in 2001 in Georgia.
EEE is transmitted by mosquitoes, much like West Nile Virus. There is a human health risk to EEE, as humans who are bitten by mosquitoes carrying the disease can become fatally ill, cautioned Michigan Community Health Department Director Janet D. Olszewski. It is possible that a person could become infected with EEE by getting brain or spinal cord matter from an infected deer in their eyes, lungs or skin wounds. The last case of EEE in a human in Michigan was documented in 2002. While rare, state health officials urged citizens to take extra precautions against EEE by taking action to reduce mosquito populations; using insect repellents for personal protection from bites; keeping tight screens on windows, doors and porches; and using protective clothing.
"It is encouraging that citizens have an increased awareness of wildlife disease and, with the help of county sheriff's deputies, were willing to bring these deer to our attention," said DNR Director Rebecca Humphries. "We encourage any citizen who observes a deer that is obviously sick and behaving abnormally to contact the closest DNR field office during business hours or the DNR Report All Poaching Line after 5 p.m., and on the weekends to provide critical information so we can continue to monitor EEE in this region."
The DNR RAP Line is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-292-7800.
DNR officials urge hunters entering the fall hunting season to exercise extra caution while hunting in Kent County. Hunters should observe the following safety procedures recommended by the DNR since 2002:
- Hunters should not handle or consume wild animals that appear sick or act abnormally, regardless of the cause.
- Always wear heavy rubber or latex gloves when field dressing deer.
- Minimize contact with brain or spinal tissues. Do not cut into the head of any deer that behaved abnormally even to remove the rack. When removing antlers from healthy deer, use a handsaw rather than a power saw, and always wear safety glasses.
- Bone out the carcass, keeping both the head and spine intact.
- Wash hands with soap and water after handling carcasses and before and after handling meat.
- Thoroughly sanitize equipment and work surfaces used during processing with bleach solution (one tablespoon of bleach to one gallon water). Consider keeping a separate set of knives used only for butchering deer.
For more information on EEE and other emerging diseases in Michigan, visit the Michigan Emerging Diseases Web site at www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.
