Eerie photos reveal how a bizarre virus is transforming ordinary deer in the U.S. into “mutants” with flesh bubbles growing out of their faces — with sightings on the rise across the country.
Over the past two months, people have been sharing photos and trail camera footage of diseased deer in New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — comparing the images to the zombie-like rabbits that have recently been seen in the U.S.
Photos of deer across different parts of the U.S. with unusual clusters of blisters on their skin have been shared on social media. The bubbles are appearing all over the animals’ bodies, from legs to faces.
Officials quickly identified the condition as deer cutaneous fibroma, also called “deer warts.” The virus spreads through insects like mosquitoes and ticks, which carry the blood of infected deer to healthy ones. Experts have warned that an outbreak is likely this summer.
These insects multiply in warm weather, which is why more deer are affected during the summer months. Americans should expect to see more cases in areas where deer live.
The condition is caused by a virus that spreads between deer, and experts have warned of a possible outbreak this summer. The insects that carry the disease reproduce in warm weather, which is why more deer develop warts during summer. As a result, Americans can expect to see more cases wherever deer live.
“Papillomas are most frequently seen during the late summer and into the fall, probably due to increased biting insect activity during this time of year,” the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says.
According to FOX13, while there aren’t any known cases of people contracting plague from deer, there are other situations where a human got it from other animals like prairie dogs.
“The chances of that happening are pretty rare, but not zero,” Dr. Elis Fisk, Washington State University Anatomic Pathology Resident, tells FOX13.
Earlier this month, people in Fort Collins, Colorado, reported seeing cottontail rabbits with horn-like and tentacle-shaped black growths on their faces. The grotesque images of the bunnies have been drawing comparisons to the zombie-like creatures in the TV show The Last of Us.
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