So far, August has seen zombie squirrels, rabbits with tentacles, and now mutant deer. Well, it turns out that those reports of mutant deer may be a bit overblown.
Snopes examined the reports that have been popping up about deer with flesh bubbles on the skin. The deer are indeed real and are sick, infected with viruses that cause fibromas. But they're not exactly a new phenomenon. It turns out that the internet just made viral what has been around for years now. Viruses in deer aren't new, and they don't pose any risks to humans. Wildlife officials so far haven't noticed any uptick in these mutant deer cases despite what the internet would have you believe.
"'Mutant deer' spotted with eerie flesh bubbles increases fear of an animal outbreak in the US: 'This is the kind of stuff you see in zombie movie intros where they say it started out slowly,'" an Aug. 21 Facebook post read.
Reports Of Mutant Deer
The virus has been around for years and can be transmitted through mosquitoes, insects, and direct from other affected deer. The papillomavirus typically causes the growths in these mutant deer, according to Maine's Department of Fisheries and Inland Wildlife. They wrote, "The virus that causes deer fibromas is not known to infect humans. Fibromas are caused by a papillomavirus, which are species specific. Though similar diseases exist in other species, deer will not spread their fibromas to pets, livestock, or other species."
Meanwhile, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation also confirmed "this virus does not infect humans or pets."
"We have not had an uptick in these reports, though they are very common and most years we receive a number of reports about them," a spokesperson with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said via email. This is something that Travis Lau, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, also confirmed to the outlet.
He said that the number of mutant deer is very few but a regular occurrence year to year. Reports typically "pick up once the rut and hunting season starts."
