# Clinton River deer die-off



## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

No evident disease in deer die-off along Clinton River

About 20 dead deer found by kayakers and canoeists along a six-mile stretch of the Clinton River centered on Bloomer Park in Rochester were not infected with chronic wasting disease or any other wildlife disease they have been able to identify, Department of Natural Resources officials said Thursday.

"We sent three of the (carcasses) to our lab in Lansing, but only one of them was really fresh enough for a definitive necropsy," Payne said. "Two people saw deer die in front of them. Something obviously has affected them, but we don't know what it is yet."

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080829/SPORTS10/808290321/1058


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Aug. 29, 2008

Contact: Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014 

Further Tests Required to Determine Cause of Death in Oakland County Deer

Tissue samples from a group of deer that recently died along the Clinton River in southeast Michigan have been sent to the Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health at Michigan State University to determine why they died. Initial tests by the Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Disease Lab show that the deer did not have Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) or Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), two diseases of particular interest in Michigan. Final toxicology and virology reports are pending.

Approximately 20 deer died in a three-week period along a six-mile stretch of the Clinton River in Bloomer Park in Rochester. Necropsies were performed at the DNRs Wildlife Disease Lab in Lansing on deer that were in good enough condition to examine. Several diseases were ruled out, but no common cause of death was found. One deer submitted for testing and necropsy died of a fractured skull, but also showed evidence of a bacterial infection, said Tom Cooley, DNR wildlife biologist who performed the necropsies.

We have sent tissue samples and stomach contents out for further testing to try to determine what killed the deer, Cooley said. We were glad to rule out CWD and other diseases, and hope the lab at Michigan State University can help us solve this mystery.

Citizens discovering a significant die-off of any wildlife species should report it to the DNR for investigation. An online form to report sick or dead wildlife is available on the states Emerging Diseases Web site at www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases. The Web site also contains information on a wide array of animal diseases present in Michigan, including CWD. Citizens may also call their local DNR Operations Service Center to report significant wildlife die-offs.

The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future generations.


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## mwp (Feb 18, 2004)

And of course that stretch of the river is one of the cleanest in the state:rant:I beleive that landfill near there at 23 & ryan was one of the top five most hazardous landfills in the state.


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## Tom Morang (Aug 14, 2001)

Yep it's a toxic waste site. Men in white suits were cleaning it up for years. Who knows what leached into the ground and into the Clinton. It could still be leaking. My money is on the poison.


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## initforfun (Dec 21, 2005)

My brother and I were fishing along that stretch last weekend. We came across 1 dead fawn and couldn't find the source of a smell around another spot we stopped at. Now we know. What a shame.


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## Sturgeon Queen (Jul 19, 2008)

I work at River Bends Park in Shelby Township and there have been numerous complaints about dead deer. I have found them off of our 5K hiking trail as well as by the Clinton River. Some were even found dying in the Clinton River. The DNR are testing a carcass from the park. If I hear anything I will post it.


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## slicktree (May 12, 2008)

by the way, unfortuantly i live in the armpit


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Sept. 4, 2008

Contacts: Tom Cooley 517-336-5030 or Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014 

DNR Announces Tentative Diagnosis for Deer Die-Off Affecting Oakland and Macomb Counties

The Department of Natural Resources today announced a tentative diagnosis of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), an often fatal viral disease found in wild ruminants, for the more than 50 deer that have died off in an area around the Clinton River in Oakland and Macomb counties. 

The disease is characterized by extensive hemorrhages and is transmitted by a biting fly or midge. White-tailed deer develop signs of the illness about seven days after exposure. Deer initially lose their appetite and fear of man, grow progressively weaker, salivate excessively, develop a rapid pulse and respiration rate, become unconscious, and then die. Due to a high fever, the deer often are found sick or dead along or in bodies of water.

The virus can be transmitted to other wild ruminants, such as elk and moose; however, there is no evidence that humans can contract the virus.

There is no known effective treatment or control of EHD. The disease was first documented in Michigans white-tailed deer in 1955. Additional die-offs attributed to EHD occurred in 1974, and again in 2006 in Allegan County. The Allegan County die-off involved 50 to 75 animals. 

Property owners who discover dead deer on their land should bury them at a sufficient depth so that body parts are not showing. Carcasses also can be disposed of at landfills that accept household solid waste. 

For more information on EHD, please see the Michigan Emerging Diseases Web site at www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.

The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the states natural resources for current and future generations.


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