Deer Fibroma: Minnesota Woman Snaps Photos of Diseased Deer Covered With Warts
OutdoorHub Reporters 08.09.19
Deer Fib-who-a?!
In hopes of generating more exposure and spreading awareness to find a possible cure, a woman in Minnesota posted photos of a sickly looking deer covered with fibromas to Facebook.
The deer’s face and neck appear covered with wart-like growths, identified as “fibromas” by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources:
“Fibromas are conspicuous as firm, nodular masses fastened only to the skin and varying in diameter from 10 to more than 100mm. All are fleshy. Some are covered with gray or dark skin which often is scratched and bleeding. Others have a black, dry, hard surface that may be fissured much like the head of a cauliflower. The larger ones tend to be pendulous because of their weight and stem-like attachment to the skin.”
“Fibromas are randomly distributed on deer but occur most frequently about the eyes, neck, face, and forelegs. They may be single or multiple. Light infections are a common occurrence in white-tailed deer. A heavily infected deer may have 25 or more. Occasionally, in multiple infections, they are so numerous and close together that they join into a coalescent mass. However, the incidence of severe involvement is extremely low, judging from the fact that not more than 2 or 3 cases in the whole state are reported to us a year.”
For tips on how you can spot common deer diseases, check out this video:
