The Daily Freeman is reporting the state Department of Environmental Conservation has confirmed the first case of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease this year in a white-tailed deer that recently died in Dover Plains. The DEC is investigating reports of several other dead deer in Dutchess County, according to a press release. The virus is often fatal in deer and is transmitted by biting midges, small bugs often called no-see-ums or “punkies.” The disease is not spread directly from deer to deer and humans cannot be infected by deer or bites from midges, according to the release. The EHD virus was first confirmed in New York in 2007. In 2020, a large outbreak occurred in Putnam and Orange counties, with reports of approximately 1,500 dead deer. In 2021, the DEC received more than 2,000 reports of dead deer primarily in Ulster, Dutchess, Columbia, Oswego and Jefferson counties. Once infected, deer usually die within 36 hours. An infected deer may appear lame or dehydrated and may seek out water sources. There is no treatment or means to prevent the disease. The DEC requests that anyone who sees a sick or dying deer report it online or to the nearest DEC Regional Office or Environmental Conservation Police Officer. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.