In this work, we present the results of a large-scale surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 across free-ranging white-tailed deer populations in the US. Epidemiological evidence for the possible transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from white-tailed deer to people in Canada has been reported 11. Identification of genetically highly similar viruses from multiple animals captured on two different days in the same or nearby location suggested that SARS-CoV-2 was likely transmitted within white-tailed deer populations 4, 19. Of interest, the majority of these white-tailed deer viruses were genetically related to those that were concurrently circulating in humans. Subsequently, active SARS-CoV-2 infections, as evidenced by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection, were reported in white-tailed deer in the US (i.e., Ohio 4, Iowa 17, Pennsylvania 18, New York 19) and in Ontario, Canada 11. estimated that 40% of tested white-tailed deer were exposed to SARS-CoV-2, starting as early as January 2020 in four states in the US 16. ![]() (2020) showed a high degree of sequence identity between human and white-tailed deer angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) proteins 12, and experimental infection studies demonstrated that the (Wuhan-Hu-1 strain)-like SARS-CoV-2 virus can readily infect white-tailed deer and lead to high loads of viral shedding and onward spread to naïve conspecifics 13, 14, 15. White-tailed deer are common in both urban and rural areas in North America with an estimated population of 30 million distributed throughout the United States (US). An animal reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 refers to a host in which the virus circulates covertly, persisting in the population and can be transmitted to other animals or humans potentially causing disease outbreaks. Further, SARS-CoV-2 transmission from animals to humans, while not common, has been documented or suspected in farmed mink ( Neogale vison) 5, 6, domestic cats ( Felis catus) 10, and white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) 11, highlighting animals as potential reservoirs for secondary zoonotic infections. In addition to humans, SARS-CoV-2 infections have been documented in a wide range of wild, domestic, and exotic animals in captivity, such as deer 4, mink 5, 6, 7, rats 8, otters, ferrets, hamsters, gorillas, cats, dogs, lions, and tigers 9. Since its emergence in 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has evolved rapidly and produced numerous SARS-CoV-2 genetic variants, including Variants of Concern (VOCs) Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron 3. Severe acute respiratory disease syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a zoonotic virus 1 similar to other high-consequence coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Overall, our findings suggest that multiple SARS-CoV-2 lineages were introduced, became enzootic, and co-circulated in white-tailed deer. Viruses repeatedly adapted to white-tailed deer with recurring amino acid substitutions across spike and other proteins. Evolutionary analyses showed these white-tailed deer viruses originated from at least 109 independent spillovers from humans, which resulted in 39 cases of subsequent local deer-to-deer transmission and three cases of potential spillover from white-tailed deer back to humans. We obtained 391 sequences and identified 34 Pango lineages including the Alpha, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron variants. and 26 states in the United States between November 2021 and April 2022. ![]() We collected 8,830 respiratory samples from free-ranging white-tailed deer across Washington, D.C. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to free-ranging white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) poses a unique public health risk due to the potential for reservoir establishment where variants may persist and evolve. SARS-CoV-2 is a zoonotic virus with documented bi-directional transmission between people and animals.
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