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Tennessee Officials Confirm Hemorrhagic Disease in Deer Across 8 Counties
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) announced Monday that hemorrhagic disease has been confirmed in white-tailed deer populations across eight counties in Middle and West Tennessee, marking another significant outbreak in the Southeast this fall.
Earlier this month, Michigan officials announced their state’s first cases of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in 2025, with detections in four counties. Now, Tennessee hunters are facing a similar situation as the viral disease spreads through deer herds during the peak late-summer transmission period.
TWRA confirmed lab cases of hemorrhagic disease (HD) in Franklin, Giles, Humphreys, Lewis, Shelby, Sumner, Wayne, and Williamson counties. The agency reports additional sick and dead deer reports coming in from other areas that are consistent with HD symptoms.
Hemorrhagic disease includes both epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and bluetongue viruses, both transmitted through bites from infected midges, also known as no-see-ums or biting flies. The disease cannot spread directly between deer.
This year’s weather conditions have created ideal circumstances for the outbreak. Tennessee experienced heavy rains during spring and early summer, followed by dry late-summer conditions that favor midge reproduction and increase disease transmission risk.
Infected deer typically exhibit several telltale symptoms. Animals may appear weak, confused, or unusually tame around humans. Physical signs include swollen tongues that may hang from the mouth, excessive drooling, bloody discharge from the nose and mouth, lameness from hoof sloughing, and swelling around the eyes, neck, or head.
Sick or dying deer are commonly found near water sources as they seek relief from high fevers and dehydration caused by the disease. However, TWRA cautions that not all deer that succumb to HD will display obvious symptoms.
Venison from healthy deer harvested in affected counties remains safe for human consumption, according to TWRA officials. The agency emphasizes that hemorrhagic disease poses no risk to humans through insect bites, handling infected deer, or consuming meat from healthy animals. However, officials recommend against consuming meat from visibly sick animals.
The disease cannot affect humans, household pets, or other wildlife species.
Hunters who discover sick or dead deer should report findings at https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/twra/sickdeer.html. TWRA staff may contact reporters if there’s an opportunity to collect samples for testing, which must occur within 24 hours of death.
The outbreak should end naturally with the first hard frost, which kills the midge population responsible for disease transmission. However, already infected deer may continue showing symptoms for several weeks after the midge die-off.
Deer that survive the disease develop immunity that can be passed to future generations, and TWRA notes that deer populations in the Southeast have shown long-term resilience to these naturally occurring viruses. Consecutive outbreaks in the same areas are rare, allowing time for natural population recovery.
TWRA officials will continue monitoring the situation and provide updates as necessary throughout the remainder of the transmission season.
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