Abstract
Significance The results provide strong evidence of extensive SARS-CoV-2 infection of white-tailed deer, a free-living wild animal species with widespread distribution across North, Central, and South America. The analysis shows infection of deer resulted from multiple spillovers from humans, followed by efficient deer-to-deer transmission. The discovery of widespread infection of white-tailed deer indicates their establishment as potential reservoir hosts for SARS-CoV-2, a finding with important implications for the ecology, long-term persistence, and evolution of the virus, including the potential for spillback to humans.
Highlights
Many animal species are susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and could act as reservoirs; transmission in free-living animals has not been documented
A total of 283 retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) samples recovered from white-tailed deer, either free living on public lands or in periurban environments or living in managed settings (“captive”) such as hunting preserves in Iowa between 8 April 2020 and 6 January 2021, were analyzed by RT-PCR for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA [13] (SI Appendix, Table S1)
94 of the 283 (33.2%; 95% CI: 28, 38.9) RPLN samples were found to be positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA
Summary
Many animal species are susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and could act as reservoirs; transmission in free-living animals has not been documented. SARS-CoV-2 infection of a nonhuman animal host might result in establishing a reservoir that can further drive the emergence of novel variants with the potential for spillback to humans. This type of transmission cycle has been described among workers on mink farms [10]. The results provide strong evidence of extensive SARS-CoV-2 infection of white-tailed deer, a free-living wild animal species with widespread distribution across North, Central, and South America. The discovery of widespread infection of white-tailed deer indicates their establishment as potential reservoir hosts for SARS-CoV-2, a finding with important implications for the ecology, long-term persistence, and evolution of the virus, including the potential for spillback to humans
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