Lymph nodes may become enlarged and darkened when the deer is fighting an infection. White-tailed deer do not spread Lyme disease but may be a host for tick species that carry human diseases such as Lyme disease. Hemorrhagic Disease Hemorrhagic disease is a general term for epizootic hemorrhagic disease and bluetongue virus. Both diseases are closely related, have similar clinical signs and are spread by a small, biting midge fly. Cattle and goats are not affected or show only mild signs of being sick.
Sheep are susceptible only to bluetongue virus.
Hemorrhagic disease outbreaks tend to occur from August to September and may go unnoticed because carcasses quickly decompose and are scavenged. Some infected deer may not show obvious symptoms, while others may die in one to three days. Because sick deer are feverish, they are often found near water. Not all deer die from the disease, but losses of up to 50 percent have been documented. Researchers speculate that 20 percent of the deer herd was lost in some areas of Missouri during past outbreaks.