Hunt_News
10-10-05, 10:58
NSING, MI—The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced this week it's confirmed two cases of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in two white-tailed deer from Kent County and is observing two additional suspect cases at its Wildlife Disease Laboratory in Lansing, Michigan. The DNR says the infected deer were found in two townships south of Rockford, Michigan, a community just north of Grand Rapids. The Michigan Department of Agriculture also recently confirmed three cases of EEE in horses, including two in Kent County.
The deer specimens were submitted for testing after some deer in Kent County were seen behaving abnormally. A media report speculated the deer had chronic wasting disease (CWD), but the DNR says all deer have tested negative for CWD.
EEE is transmitted by mosquitoes, much like West Nile virus. There is a human health risk to EEE, because humans who are bitten by mosquitoes carrying the disease can become fatally ill. The DNR says it's 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 in skin wounds. 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.
DNR officials have urged hunters to exercise extra caution this fall while hunting in Kent County and should observe the following safety procedures:
Don't handle or consume meat from game animals that appear sick or act abnormally, regardless of the cause.
Always wear heavy rubber or latex gloves while field dressing deer.
Minimize contact with brain or spinal tissues. Don't cut into the head of any deer that behaved abnormally, even to remove the rack. When removing antlers from healthy deer, use a hand saw rather than a power saw, and always wear safety glasses.
Bone out the carcass and keep both the head and spine intact.
Wash your hands with soap and water after handling carcasses and before and after handling meat.
Thoroughly sanitize all field dressing equipment and work surfaces used during processing with a bleach solution. Consider keeping a separate set of knives used only for butchering deer.
For more information on EEE, visit the Michigan Emerging Diseases Web site at www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.
The deer specimens were submitted for testing after some deer in Kent County were seen behaving abnormally. A media report speculated the deer had chronic wasting disease (CWD), but the DNR says all deer have tested negative for CWD.
EEE is transmitted by mosquitoes, much like West Nile virus. There is a human health risk to EEE, because humans who are bitten by mosquitoes carrying the disease can become fatally ill. The DNR says it's 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 in skin wounds. 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.
DNR officials have urged hunters to exercise extra caution this fall while hunting in Kent County and should observe the following safety procedures:
Don't handle or consume meat from game animals that appear sick or act abnormally, regardless of the cause.
Always wear heavy rubber or latex gloves while field dressing deer.
Minimize contact with brain or spinal tissues. Don't cut into the head of any deer that behaved abnormally, even to remove the rack. When removing antlers from healthy deer, use a hand saw rather than a power saw, and always wear safety glasses.
Bone out the carcass and keep both the head and spine intact.
Wash your hands with soap and water after handling carcasses and before and after handling meat.
Thoroughly sanitize all field dressing equipment and work surfaces used during processing with a bleach solution. Consider keeping a separate set of knives used only for butchering deer.
For more information on EEE, visit the Michigan Emerging Diseases Web site at www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.