Rare disease discovered in blind deer by WSU pathologists: ‘Do not touch sick animals’
Sep 24, 2024, 2:49 PM
A half-blind deer is seen in a recent photo. This is not the sick deer recently found in Idaho. (Photo: S&C Photography via Flickr Creative Commons)
(Photo: S&C Photography via Flickr Creative Commons)
Washington State University (WSU) pathologists confirmed a blind deer was harboring a rare disease.
A from WSU reported a mule deer, found in Idaho, had the ocular plague. The plague, according to pathologists, is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis and occurs naturally in areas of the western United States. However, Anatomic Pathologist and Associate Professor at WSU Kyle Taylor said that while the disease is common in rodents, it is rare for other animals and not easily passed on to humans.
The deer was spotted by a member of the public on June 9 in Custer County, appearing to be thin, weak and blind.
The next day an Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife Game officer found and euthanized the deer. Tissue samples and the deer’s eyes were submitted to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL) in WSU for testing, where they confirmed the ocular plague.
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“Moreover, deer are likely not particularly susceptible to plague, and the case that we detected is believed to be a very rare manifestation of an already rare disease, which has only been reported a handful of times,” Taylor wrote in an email to MyNorthwest on Tuesday.
The plague tends to affect a deer’s eyes, making them blind, according to Pathology Resident at WADDL, Dr. Elis Fisk. Therefore, named the ocular plague.
“The disease doesn’t necessarily kill the deer on its own, but it causes blindness, likely making them vulnerable to predators and significantly reducing their chances of survival,” Fisk stated via the release.
According to the release, Taylor was aware of previous cases of the disease in Wyoming and Oregon.
However, Staci Lehman with the (WDFW) said the plague is not related to (CWD), a deadly disease seen in animals such as deer, elk, moose and reindeer.
Taylor echoed this statement, saying the plague is caused by bacteria, which is endemic to the state, while CWD is a 聽and is new to Washington. He added there is likely very little concern for the public, hunters or deer populations regarding the ocular plague.
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However, Fisk said human exposure to the plague can lead to severe illness and death without early antibiotic treatment. If people do encounter a deer that looks sick, Lehman gave some advice.
“Don’t touch ANY sick animal,” she wrote. “Generally, wildlife diseases don鈥檛 pass easily to humans but the CDC recommends not taking the chance, it can also spread disease to areas where it wasn鈥檛 already.”
Second, Lehman said to report the sick animal to WDFW so a biologist or vet can look into the situation. To report, .
Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories聽here. Follow Julia on X聽聽and email her聽here.
