Maybe I’m A Deer

I have been working in the field of sewage sludge for decades, but this year, just as an observation, the biting gnats are more common, yet what they transmit to people and animals remains unknown.

In recent years it often took about two days to recover from a sewage sludge investigation in the forests of western Washington State. Last week, it took about seven days to recover, but recover from what?

I was of the mind that it was the volatile gasses emitted from the sludge piles and swampy sludge puddles that were the source of the mild illnesses contracted out there, or perhaps it was the wealth of infectious agents that occur and then bloom in the Perfect Storm sludge environment that incited the signs and symptoms. However, now I see that it may be the massive swarms of insects that may be the problem, along with what they may transmit from sludge to animal, or from animal to animal, including to humans. Or, perhaps it is all of that. The literature tells us that people do not contract these deer illnesses, so maybe I’m a deer.

When investigating the signs and symptoms observed in wildlife that inhabit these same forests, plus on the farms and rangelands of eastern Washington, all of where these same sewage sludges are land disposed, it may be that I fit a similar illness profile as does a deer, but only after imaging and following the sludge disposal process on the ground, first hand.

Just what is it those biting gnats are transmitting after they encounter wet sewage sludge puddles and sludge dump leachates and runoff? The bites are small red bumps that are inflamed and painful, and that persist for weeks following the bites to any exposed skin, generally accompanied by slight fever and what seems to be a mild immune response.

I now have a new supply of protective gear and insecticides, so that may do the trick.

The usual Google and Wiki searches reveal a vast literature of the viruses transmitted or vectored by these gnats to people and to so many species of deer, elk and domesticated animals, most of which are ruminants. The reports are mixed and in conflict, probably for good cause and reason, but it is clear that the gnats are here and breeding in these fetid sludge puddles, sludge leachates and runoff during this dry year. And, the gnats die universally, nearly upon contact with the sludge fluids, as do the moths, mosquitos, flies, bees, hornets and so many other invertebrate species.

Clear also is that the usually frisky deer now stand there and watch me, as I crawl around the forest floor imaging mushrooms and other life forms that are adversely affected by the sewage sludge materials. They used to run away, but now just stand there, in this case in a sludge puddle at the edge of the forest.

 

Also of note, and as stated below, the insect-borne infectious diseases from nearly any location may include: “…eight species of spotted fever group rickettsiae, seven species in the family Anaplasmataceae, six genospecies in the complex Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, 11 species of Babesia, and the virus causing severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.” “15 of the 33 emerging tick-borne infectious agents have been reported to cause human disease, and their clinical characteristics have been described.”

These infectious disease agents and their insect vectors have never been investigated in these land-disposed sewage sludges. What’s in that stuff, and what is the danger to us all?

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), September 2015, tells us that: “The Hemorrhagic Diseases (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease or Bluetongue) are common viral diseases of white-tailed deer, but rarely affect other species. These diseases occur during the driest part of the year when conditions are favorable for the biting Culicoides gnats that transmit them. The gnats are found in wet, muddy areas …, especially in unusually warm, dry years. Deer in the early stages of hemorrhagic disease may appear lethargic, disoriented, lame or unresponsive to the presence of humans. Mule deer, elk and bighorn sheep could be exposed to the disease but are usually not stricken like white-tailed deer. Humans are not affected by these viruses.” Herein reside the contradictions: I’m not certain of the above statements at all; there are conflicting reports about just who gets what.

 

 

Spokane, WA, KXLY.com. 2015. Spokane - Coeur d’ Alene: “The region's wildlife has been hit hard by this Summer's drought, as the Department of Fish and Wildlife reports deer are dying from an outbreak of blue tongue disease. Fish and Wildlife says the deer are coming to stagnant water sources because of the dry conditions and are being bit by disease carrying gnats. The gnats, the insects that spread this virus, do very well under warm, hot, dry conditions like we have now, because they're congregated around wet areas, and the deer are also congregated around what scarce water there is out there, so they're coming into contact with these insects and getting bitten and becoming infected with the virus,” Fish and Wildlife Veterinarian Kristin Mansfield said. “Blue tongue is a common virus transmitted by biting gnats.”

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD, Wiki) is a hemorrhagic disease of white-tailed deer caused by an infection of a virus from the genus Orbivirus (Shope et al. 1960, Howarth et al. 2001). It is an infectious, and sometimes fatal, virus that is characterized by extensive hemorrhages, and is found throughout the US. EHD has been found in domestic ruminants and many species of deer including white-tailed deer, mule deer and pronghorn antelope. EHD is often called bluetongue; however, this is incorrect. Bluetongue virus is closely related to EHD, and has similar clinical signs, but it is a different disease. Bluetongue disease is a contagious, insect-borne, viral disease of ruminants, mainly sheep and more frequently cattle, goats, buffalo, deer, dromedaries and antelope. It is caused by the Bluetongue Virus (BTV). The virus is transmitted by the midge Culicoides imicola, Culicoides variipennis, and other culicoids. Twenty-six serotypes are now recognised for this virus. The virus particle consists of ten strands of double-stranded RNA surrounded by two protein shells. The dsRNA genome of BTV encodes 11 viral proteins.”

Interesting phenomenon: Same virus, same insect vectors, same geographical locations, different disease; not so sure about that. Let’s just go with the idea that no one really knows.

 

 

Viral disease killing hundreds of deer in the region

By Rich Landers. The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA, Oct. 2, 2015

The public can help wildlife officials monitor the bluetongue outbreak by reporting sick whitetails or deer likely to be dead from disease. A drought-stoked outbreak of viral disease first detected in August is killing hundreds of deer from the Colville area south to the Lewiston region, wildlife biologists from Washington and Idaho say. At least 68 whitetails dead from bluetongue have been collected in the town of Colville. Bluetongue has killed mostly white-tailed deer, but in recent weeks the disease also has been confirmed in mule deer. Bluetongue is closely related to epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), which is common in whitetails, but usually on a small scale in isolated areas, said Kristin Mansfield, Washington’s state wildlife veterinarian. Wildlife officials are especially concerned that this year’s outbreak is the bluetongue variety of hemorrhagic disease, which can affect a wider range of animals, and that it’s significantly more widespread than in the past. “The distinction between bluetongue and EHD is important,” said Charlie Powell, spokesman for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University. “Bluetongue can affect international trade of livestock, while EHD is uncommon in cattle.”

Again - no one knows.

"Dead or sick deer are more likely to be reported in more populated areas," said Dana Base, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in Colville. "Far more deer in rural areas are likely to be sick or dying undetected," he said. "However, at least three cases of mule deer dying of bluetongue in the Moses Lake area were confirmed this week." “One Palouse River landowner called (WSU) saying he counted 30 dead whitetails on his property,” Powell said. Southern Spokane County rancher Mike Proff confirmed 18 dead whitetails on his land near Plaza. “Bluetongue and EHD probably affect deer every year to some degree, but in my 17 years working in this district, this is the widest I’ve seen the problem spread with lots of hot spots,” Base said. “This year, we’ve had the perfect storm for outbreaks on account of the long drought and high temperatures, which probably favored the reproduction of the Culicoides gnats that carry the EHD and bluetongue virus. We’re finding dead whitetails just about any place the deer get around mud, which is where the gnats are produced.”

Biting Midges: The biting midges belong to the family Ceratopogondiae. The most common biting midges are Culicoides spp. They are associated with aquatic or semiaquatic habitats, e.g., mud or moist soil around streams, ponds, and marshes. Biting midges are tiny gnats (1–3 mm long) and, like black flies, inflict painful bites and suck the blood of their hosts, both people and livestock. Biting midges are flies (Order Diptera) in the family Ceratopogonidae, which includes over 4, 000 species in 78 genera worldwide. Over 600 species in 36 genera have been described in North America. Species in only four genera of biting midges feed on the blood of mammals. The genera of greatest importance to human and livestock health in the US are Culicoides, Leptoconops, and Forcipomyia.

 

 

Emerging tick-borne infections in mainland China: an increasing public health threat

The Lancet, Infectious Diseases, 06 October 2015. Li-Qun Fang, et al. State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China.

 http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/P... 

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(15)00177-2 

Summary: Since the beginning of the 1980s, 33 emerging tick-borne agents have been identified in mainland China, including eight species of spotted fever group rickettsiae, seven species in the family Anaplasmataceae, six genospecies in the complex Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, 11 species of Babesia, and the virus causing severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome. 15 of the 33 emerging tick-borne agents have been reported to cause human disease, and their clinical characteristics have been described. The non-specific clinical manifestations caused by tick-borne pathogens present a major diagnostic challenge and most physicians are unfamiliar with the many tick-borne diseases that present with non-specific symptoms in the early stages of the illness. Advances in and application of modern molecular techniques should help with identification of emerging tick-borne pathogens and improve laboratory diagnosis of human infections. We expect that more novel tick-borne infections in ticks and animals will be identified and additional emerging tick-borne diseases in human beings will be discovered.

The operative words here are, “ The non-specific clinical manifestations caused by tick-borne pathogens present a major diagnostic challenge …” There is not any testing or monitoring of land-disposed sewage sludge in the wetlands, streams, bogs and temperate rain forests of western Washington State. What novel diseases are they creating out there, from the ether, as mixed with toxic sewage sludge? No one knows, and the answer may be unknowable.