DNR confirms state’s first cases of EHD for 2026 in deer from four southern Michigan counties

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has detected epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus in free-ranging white-tailed deer from Branch, Ingham, Jackson and Lenawee counties.

The DNR Wildlife Health Section and Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed the EHD virus in the first detections for 2026. As samples are submitted from additional counties, any further detections will be posted on the DNR’s EHD webpage.

EHD is a viral, sometimes fatal disease that periodically affects white-tailed deer in Michigan. It is transmitted through the bite of an infected midge, or biting fly. Deer cannot transmit the disease directly to one another; the virus must pass through the insect.

There is no evidence that humans, household pets or other Michigan wildlife can contract the EHD virus. Venison harvested in areas affected by EHD is safe for consumption.

“We do not recommend consuming any animals that are visibly sick, but healthy deer harvested from areas where EHD has been present are still safe to eat,” said Brent Rudolph, deer, elk, and moose management specialist for the DNR Wildlife Division. “So far, we are seeing EHD on the landscape at levels similar to 2025.”

EHD typically affects deer in late summer and early fall. Outbreaks can be more severe in years when there is a wet spring followed by a hot, dry summer, but the first frost kills the midge population and stops disease transmission. Occasionally, localized outbreaks have been detected in a dozen or more counties, including as many as 30 in 2012.

Report sick or dead deer online

If you suspect you have found a deer that has contracted or died from EHD, please submit a diseased wildlife report through the DNR’s Eyes in the Field online system.

Sick and dead deer are often found in or around bodies of water. Due to a high fever and dehydration, deer infected with EHD often seek water to lower their body temperature and to rehydrate.

Visible symptoms of EHD in deer include appearing lethargic, disoriented, lame or unresponsive, though these can be symptoms of other deer maladies or injuries as well. Deer infected with EHD may show bloody discharge from the nose and mouth, a swollen or blue-tinged tongue and swelling of the eyelids and around the neck or head. EHD can only be confirmed through testing by a qualified laboratory.

Once EHD is confirmed in a county, it is not necessary to continue testing for the virus, but the DNR encourages continued reporting of suspected cases online to track the full extent of an outbreak.

Minimal impact on deer populations expected

Although EHD outbreaks have not been shown to have a significant long-term effect on deer populations in Michigan, deer mortality can be intense in small geographic areas and local impact may persist for a few years.

Dr. Scott Larsen, veterinarian for the DNR Wildlife Division, noted that not all deer in outbreak areas will contract EHD, and not all deer that get EHD will die from it. 

“The impacts of EHD on northern states seems to be changing,” Larsen said. “As weather in Michigan has become warmer and wetter, conditions have become more favorable to the EHD virus and the biting midges that carry it. A different strain of the virus has also emerged in this part of the country in the last few years, making for a more complex situation for deer herds to develop immunity, since immunity to one strain doesn’t necessarily provide full immunity to other strains.”

Learn more about epizootic hemorrhagic disease in white-tailed deer.