Spokane County sees deer, horses succumb to separate diseases

Multiple animals have died in Spokane County from different contagious diseases in recent months.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed, on Friday, a second case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a dead deer and the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) reported Monday two horses died from Equine Herpes Virus.

Confirmed CWD case found in Spokane County deer

WDFW said CWD was found in an adult male white-tailed deer that was harvested by a hunter during the opening weekend of the modern firearm deer season (October 12-25, according to eRegulation’s website).

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The department added the deer was harvested close to where the state’s first case of CWD was confirmed during the summer in the Fairwood area of Spokane County.

“Given the location where this deer was harvested — approximately five miles north of the initial CWD detection and west of Highway 395 — this positive test result is not a complete surprise,” Chief of WDFW’s Wildlife Science Division Donny Martorello said via WDFW’s website.

The deer’s lymph nodes were submitted to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Washington State University for testing on October 16, according to the department. WDFW was notified this week of the positive results.

“The public can track confirmed cases of CWD on the Department’s CWD web page,” Martorello said. “Hunters can also use their WILD ID to look up the lab results from samples they submitted.”

Why is CWD called ‘Zombie Deer Disease’?

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is an insidious disease afflicting deer, elk and moose populations in three dozen states across the country, including Washington. It can only be confirmed through testing of lymph nodes or brain tissue, according to WDFW.

“This disease is very concerning to us because it is fatal to infected animals and if it is allowed to spread unchecked can severely impact populations of cervids: deer, elk and moose in Washington,” Staci Lehman with WDFW told MyNorthwest Monday.

‘Zombie deer, elk disease’ confirmed in Washington: What you should know

The symptoms, which may not appear for months, are unmerciful and incurable. Picture a deer listless, shaking uncontrollably, excessively salivating and appearing confused until it dies. The disease, also called “Zombie Deer Disease” is 100% fatal. There is no vaccine or treatment.

WDFW said since the announcement of the first case in August, changes have been made to rules for hunters, game salvagers and people who feed wildlife in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. For a list of new rules, visit WDFW’s website.

The department also noted there has been no scientific evidence of CWD being transmitted to humans but to minimize the risk, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends to not consume meat from an animal that has tested positive for CWD or any animal that appears sick.

Spokane County horses die from Equine Herpes Virus

Also in Spokane County, over the weekend, two horses succumbed to a disease. WSDA said the horses died of the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) otherwise known as Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM).

“This contagious, often fatal disease of horses has prompted the Washington State Department of Agriculture veterinarians to issue a warning for those who recently visited a local arena where other horses were present,” the department stated.

Two Spokane equine premises are under quarantine. Meanwhile, WSDA is encouraging horse owners who have commingled horses to self-quarantine and halt any transportation for the next three weeks in an effort to stop the disease from spreading.

“The virus incubation period is highly variable and can be as long as 14 days,” Washington Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. Ben Smith stated.

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WSDA recommends safety precautions amid EHV-1

WSDA is also encouraging biosecurity measures such as avoiding nose-to-nose contact between horses and not sharing equipment.

The department also recommends isolating newly purchased horses or those returning from shows and to seek veterinary assistance if a horse has a temperature of 101.5 or higher.

“EHV-1 is a common respiratory virus of horses, but the neurologic form causes Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) that can present with various symptoms, including fever, decreased coordination, hind limb weakness and lethargy,” WSDA stated.

While there is no vaccine for EHM or EHV-1, the department said horse owners can look into a state veterinarian-approved experimental immunomodulator drug that has been shown to prevent shedding of the virus.

For more information on EHM, head here.

Contributing: Luke Duecy, KIRO Newsradio

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.