Holmes County herald., 1963-07-04
Deer hit
by anthrax

Dy
An outbreak of disease,
diagnosed as anthrax, is eau
sing severe die-off of deer on
Beulah Island, about 1900 &C.
res in s..-e and a portion of
arkansas l4..u on this side of
the Mississippi River adjoin-
ing Bolivar County, MISSISSIPPI
pi. The disease has also hit
among unvaccinated livestock
on adjoining lands in Bolivar
County.
The Game and Fish Com
mission was aIerted early
last week by members of the
Beulah Island Hunting Club
when they found several deer
dead in the woods. An i'm
mediate investigation was
made by Arkansas and Mis-
sissippi Game and Fish Com
mission game biologists. In
tensive searches of the woods
were made Immediately and
over thirty dead deer were
found on the Island but none
were freshly dead and suit
able for obtaining diagnoses
for probable cause.
Local veterinarians were
contacted since livestock also
were involved. The Arkansas
and Mississippi Game and
Fish Commissions then called
DR.. Frank A. Hayes, Direct
or OF the Southeastern Wild
life Disease Study, to assist
in investigating the probable
cause of deer mortality. The
Wildlife Disease Study is
sponsored jointly by thirteen
Southeastern States to investi-
gate disease, parasite and
nutrition problems in Wlldllfe
populations.
DIR. Hayes, a veterinarian
from the University Of GeOrg-
ia, brought a veterinary team
of SIX persons to the scene.
After consulting with DIR.
Matt Virgins, a local veteri-
MARIAN, since livestock were
involved, intensive searches
for dead deer were organized
and conducted again by Ark
ansas and Mississippi Game
Com mission personnel, local
persons and the veterinary
team.
Altogether, sixty-five dead
deer were found but only one
was sufficiently fresh for
diagnosis. Dr.. }. w. BranSon
OF the State Veterinary dag
|,lostlc Laboratory in jackson
diagnosed this deer specimen
ds having died of anthrax,
confirming the diagnoses OF
otis.r veterinarians on the
case. specimens from two
COWS from adjoining lands in
Dollvar County were also
diagnosed positive for anth-
rax by the laboratory. Other
cattle, hogs and some horses
also died of disease in this
area.
Veterinarians in the Delta
area have stated that condi-
tons for anthrax disease have
been extremely favorable for
outbreaks and urge precau-
tionary control measures
where possible.
The deer die-off from disea-
Sc on Beulah Island is also
associated with extremely
heavy deer populations there,
severe overbroWsing and pos
sibly stagnant water condi-
tons coupled with heavy utl,
|lization by deer of plots OF
wheat planted for them by the
hunting club.
Total deer mortality on
IBeulah Island has been estl-
mated to exceed 500 OF the
and the deer die
off is still continuing.
Searches have been made
on adjacent Marigold Hunt
ing Club lands across Beulah
Lake and other adjoining
lands but no dead deer have
wet been found off Beulah Is
LAND. The Mississippi Game
and Fish Commission ARD
lsportsmen in the adjoining
heavily populated deer ranges
|along the Mississippi River
have been seriously concern.
ed because of possible spread
|of the disease into MISSISSIPPI
nj areas. Game biologists are
|hoping that it will remain To-
Called on Beulah Island and
run it's course there. Deer
herd reductions by increased
deer hunting pressure and
anterlesS deer seasons held