US - Surveillance data shows white-tailed deer exposed to SARS-CoV-2

[Pathfinder]

Surveillance Data Shows White-Tailed Deer Exposed to SARS-CoV-2

Published: Jul 28, 2021
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Contact: APHISpress@usda.gov

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently completed a study that analyzed serum samples from free-ranging white-tailed deer for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Results of the study indicate that certain white-tailed deer populations in Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania were exposed to SARS-CoV-2.

Samples were obtained opportunistically as part of wildlife damage management activities conducted by APHIS Wildlife Services across 32 counties in the 4 states. These samples were tested at APHIS’ National Wildlife Research Center and National Veterinary Services Laboratories. Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 33% of the 481 samples collected from January 2020 through 2021. None of the deer populations surveyed showed signs of clinical illness associated with SARS-CoV-2.

It is important to note that this surveillance was designed to determine exposure of deer to SARS-CoV-2 in their natural environment. It was not designed to determine whether the deer were replicating and shedding SARS-CoV-2.

APHIS supports a One Health approach to addressing animal diseases, including SARS-CoV-2. Widespread human infections with SARS-CoV-2 combined with human-wildlife interactions create the potential for spillover between people and animals. Studying the susceptibility of certain mammals, such as deer, to SARS-CoV-2 helps to identify species that may serve as reservoirs or hosts for the virus, as well as understand the origin of the virus, and predict its impacts on wildlife and the risks of cross-species transmission.

The finding that wild white-tailed deer have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 is not unexpected given that white-tailed deer are susceptible to the virus, are abundant in the United States, often come into close contact with people, and that, more than 114 million Americans are estimated to have been infected with COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

APHIS is working closely with federal and state partners, including the Department of the Interior, the CDC, and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, to determine next steps. Results from this surveillance effort are currently being prepared for publication in a peer-review journal.

APHIS is a multi-faceted agency with a broad mission that includes protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, regulating genetically engineered organisms, administering the Animal Welfare Act, and carrying out wildlife damage management activities.

For more information, please see the Questions and Answers: Results of Study on SARS-CoV-2 in White-Tailed Deer.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/stakeholder-info/stakeholder-messages/wildlife-damage-news/deer-sars

[Pathfinder]

• NEWS
• 02 August 2021

Coronavirus infection is rife in a common US deer species

Survey results show that many white-tailed deer, a familiar sight on US lawns and golf courses, have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.

• Smriti Mallapaty

One-third of white-tailed deer in the north-eastern United States have antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 — a sign that they have been infected with the virus.

The findings, revealed by an analysis of samples collected after the pandemic began, represent the first detection of widespread exposure to the virus in a population of wild animals, says Arinjay Banerjee, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada. The results are reported in a preprint posted on bioRxiv on 29 July¹. They have not yet been peer reviewed.

Researchers say the rapid exposure of a large number of animals to the virus is concerning, but that more studies are needed to assess whether the deer can infect each other — and other species — in the wild. “It’s an intriguing observation but still needs to be interpreted with caution,” says Aaron Irving, an infectious-diseases researcher at Zhejiang University in Haining, China.

The crucial questions are “how the virus spread to deer and if it will spread from infected deer to other wildlife or to domestic livestock such as cattle”, says Linda Saif, a virologist at the Ohio State University in Wooster.

...

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02110-8

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...08.15.456341v1

Infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and its alpha variant in pregnant white-tailed deer
Konner Cool, Natasha N. Gaudreault, Igor Morozov, Jessie D. Trujillo, David A. Meekins, Chester McDowell, Mariano Carossino, Dashzeveg Bold, Taeyong Kwon, Velmurugan Balaraman, Daniel W. Madden, Bianca Libanori Artiaga, Roman M. Pogranichniy, Gleyder Roman Sosa, Jamie Henningson, William C. Wilson, Udeni B. R. Balasuriya, Adolfo García-Sastre, View ORCID ProfileJuergen A. Richt
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.15.456341
This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [what does this mean?].

...Our results demonstrate that adult white-tailed deer are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and can transmit the virus through direct contact as well as vertically from doe to fetus. Additionally, we determined that the alpha VOC B.1.1.7 isolate of SARS-CoV-2 outcompetes the ancestral lineage A isolate in white-tailed deer, as demonstrated by the genome of the virus shed from nasal and oral cavities from principal infected and contact animals, and from virus present in tissues of principal infected deer, fetuses and contact animals...

[Shiloh]

Questions and Answers - Results of Study on SARS-CoV-2 in White-Tailed Deer: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_he...deer-study.pdf

[Pathfinder]

bioRxiv posts many COVID19-related papers. A reminder: they have not been formally peer-reviewed and should not guide health-related behavior or be reported in the press as conclusive.
New Results Follow this preprint



Multiple spillovers and onward transmission of SARS-Cov-2 in free-living and captive White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

View ORCID ProfileSuresh V Kuchipudi, Meera Surendran-Nair, Rachel M Ruden, Michele Yon, Ruth H Nissly, Rahul K Nelli, Lingling Li, Bhushan M Jayarao, Kurt Vandegrift, Costas D Maranas, Nicole Levine, Katriina Willgert, View ORCID ProfileAndrew J.K Conlan, Randall J Olsen, James Davis, James M. Musser, Peter J Hudson, Vivek Kapur
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.31.466677

This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [what does this mean?].
00000253

• Abstract
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Abstract


Many animal species are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and could potentially act as reservoirs, yet transmission in non-human free-living animals has not been documented. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), the predominant cervid in North America, are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and experimentally infected fawns transmit the virus to other captive deer. To test the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 may be circulating in deer, we evaluated 283 retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) samples collected from 151 free-living and 132 captive deer in Iowa from April 2020 through December of 2020 for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Ninety-four of the 283 deer (33.2%; 95% CI: 28, 38.9) samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA as assessed by RT-PCR. Notably, between Nov 23, 2020, and January 10, 2021, 80 of 97 (82.5%; 95% CI 73.7, 88.8) RPLN samples had detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR. Whole genome sequencing of the 94 positive RPLN samples identified 12 SARS-CoV-2 lineages, with B.1.2 (n = 51; 54.5%), and B.1.311 (n = 19; 20%) accounting for ~75% of all samples. The geographic distribution and nesting of clusters of deer and human lineages strongly suggest multiple zooanthroponotic spillover events and deer-to-deer transmission. The discovery of sylvatic and enzootic SARS-CoV-2 transmission in deer has important implications for the ecology and long-term persistence, as well as the potential for spillover to other animals and spillback into humans. These findings highlight an urgent need for a robust and proactive One Health approach to obtaining a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of SARS-CoV-2.

...

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.31.466677v1

[Mary Wilson]

Widespread Coronavirus Infection Found in Iowa Deer, New Study Says

The analysis by Penn State and Iowa researchers strongly indicates that deer are getting the virus from humans, worrying experts about a deep wild reservoir for the virus.

Nov. 2, 2021
By Andrew Jacobs

A new study of hundreds of white-tailed deer infected with the coronavirus in Iowa has found that the animals probably are contracting the virus from humans, and then rapidly spreading it among one another, according to researchers.

Up to 80 percent of deer sampled from April 2020 through January 2021 in the state were infected, the study indicated.

Scientists said the findings pose worrisome implications for the spread of the coronavirus, although they were not able to identify how the deer might have contracted the virus from humans. There is no evidence that deer have passed the virus back to humans.

... “There is no reason to believe that the same thing isn’t happening in other states where deer are present,” Dr. Kapur said.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/02/science/deer-covid-infection.html

[sharon sanders]

bump this

[Pathfinder]

White-tailed deer found to be huge reservoir of coronavirus infection

November 8, 2021 8.13am EST

Authors
Graeme Shannon
Lecturer in Zoology, Bangor University

Amy Gresham
PhD Student, Behavioural Ecology, Bangor University

Owain Barton
PhD Student, Ecology, Bangor University


New research from the US has shown that white-tailed deer are being infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans. Antibodies were found in 40% of deer that were tested from January to March 2021 across Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York state. A second unpublished study has detected the virus in 80% of deer sampled in Iowa between November 2020 and January 2021.

Such high levels of infection led the researchers to conclude that deer are actively transmitting the virus to one another. The scientists also identified different SARS-CoV-2 variants, suggesting there have been many human-to-deer infections.

The large numbers of white-tailed deer in North America and the fact that they often live close to people provide several opportunities for the disease to move between the two species. This can include wildlife management operations, field research, recreation, tourism and hunting. In fact, hunters are likely to be one of the most obvious sources of potential reinfection as they regularly handle dead animals. It has also been suggested that water sources contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 might provide a pathway for transmission, although this has yet to be proved.

...

https://theconversation.com/white-tailed-deer-found-to-be-huge-reservoir-of-coronavirus-infection-171268

[sharon sanders]

bump this

[Pathfinder]

Study Finds Deer May Be Reservoir for SARS-CoV-2



Wednesday, November 10, 2021


Young white-tailed fawn, courtesy of Getty Images.

More than 80 percent of the white-tailed deer sampled in different parts of Iowa between December 2020 and January 2021 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The percentage of SARS-CoV-2 positive deer increased throughout the study, with 33 percent of all deer testing positive. The findings suggest that white-tailed deer may be a reservoir for the virus to continually circulate and raise concerns of emergence of new strains that may prove a threat to wildlife and, possibly, to humans.

“This is the first direct evidence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in any free-living species, and our findings have important implications for the ecology and long-term persistence of the virus,” said Penn State University associate director for the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory Suresh Kuchipudi.

In this new study, the team examined nearly 300 samples collected from deer across the state of Iowa during the peak of human COVID-19 infection in 2020. Research supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, read this Penn State article(link is external).

https://nifa.usda.gov/announcement/study-finds-deer-may-be-reservoir-sars-cov-2

[Pathfinder]

What you should know about deer and COVID-19

While experts are still learning about COVID-19, there is currently no evidence that wildlife might be a source of infection for people in the US, and no evidence you can get COVID-19 from preparing or eating wild game.

11/12/2021

• Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

MassWildlife has been receiving inquiries from hunters and others regarding COVID-19 and its effect on deer and other wildlife. While experts are still learning about this virus, currently there is no evidence that wildlife might be a source of infection for people in the United States, and there is no evidence that you can get COVID-19 by preparing or eating food, including hunted wild game meat.

Research


As a novel emerging disease, research is ongoing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and its impacts on wildlife. Multiple studies have found SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in wild North American mammals including white-tailed deer. New studies are showing that wild deer have contracted multiple strains of COVID-19 from humans, and Ohio State University recently found active infection in wild Ohio deer using PCR tests. Experimental research with captive deer has shown that SARS-CoV-2 can spread among deer, however, deer are only contagious for a short duration (less than seven days).

Transmission Risks


The risk for transmission from deer to humans is likely very low due to the outdoor aspect of hunting and the short period of time deer are contagious with the virus. SARS-CoV-2 is primarily transmitted by inhaling aerosolized droplets. These droplets can come from respiration or from the digestive tract. Currently:

• The transmission mode from humans to white-tailed deer is currently unknown.

• There have been no known cases of humans contracting COVID-19 from deer.
• There is no evidence people can contract COVID-19 by eating wild game.

Tips for Handling and Preparing Game


To minimize the transmission risk of diseases, MassWildlife always recommends hunters use best practices for processing game:

• Avoid handling or consuming wild animals that appear sick or those found dead.
• Wear gloves and a face shield when handling, field dressing, and processing game.
• When possible, process your game outdoors or in a well-ventilated location.
• Use caution and minimize contact with the brain or spinal tissues. Out of an abundance of caution for Covid-19, additional preventative measures include avoiding the head, lungs, and digestive tract.
• Handle knives carefully to prevent accidental cuts.

• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after handling carcasses and before and after handling meat.
• Thoroughly sanitize all tools and work surfaces used during processing with a bleach solution (1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 gallon water). Consider keeping a separate set of knives used only for butchering game.
• Cook game meat thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165°F to kill pathogens.

...

https://www.mass.gov/news/what-you-should-know-about-deer-and-covid-19

[Emily]

This person has a theory that spreading human sewage sludge (biosolids) could have heavily exposed deer to sars2. He's got maps and timing to support his theory. Search for the words"sewage sludge".

https://theethicalskeptic.com/2021/11/15/chinas-ccp-concealed-sars-cov-2-presence-in-china-as-far-back-as-march-2018/

[sharon sanders]

bump this

[Pathfinder]

OIE Statement on monitoring white-tailed deer for SARS-CoV-2


Statements

3 December 2021

Recent scientific research has shown a high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection within white-tailed deer populations in North America. This is the first time that the virus has been detected at population levels in wildlife. This discovery requires further research to determine if white-tailed deer could become a reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 and to assess other animal or public health implications. As they do not show clinical signs of infection, white-tailed deer should be monitored for the possibility of becoming a silent reservoir.

While there is currently no evidence of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from white tailed-deer to humans, there appears to have been multiple introductions of the virus into white-tailed deer populations by humans. We encourage countries to raise awareness with both hunters, and those living or working with wildlife, to avoid unnecessary interactions with wildlife and to avoid leaving any human waste or objects in forested areas that may be ingested or touched by deer and other wildlife.

Despite the broad circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer populations, the virus does not appear to have significantly mutated. While this lessens concerns for the emergence of new virus strains that may be harmful to humans, more information must be gathered to understand the effects of the virus’ introduction to wildlife on the ecosystem. Therefore, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) calls on countries and other concerned parties to:

1. Encourage collaboration between national Veterinary Services and national wildlife authorities, whose partnership is key to promoting animal health and safeguarding human and environmental health.
2. Inform the OIE of current wildlife surveillance and monitoring efforts for SARS-CoV-2, including relevant scientific studies concerning white-tailed deer or other cervids through SARSCoV2@oie.int .
3. Monitor, and where possible, test cervids populations in all regions to further understand the spread of infection within the while-tailed deer population and among other deer and wildlife species.
4. Share all genetic sequence data from animal surveillance studies through publicly available databases.
5. Report confirmed animal cases of SARS-CoV-2 to the OIE through World Animal Health Information System (OIE-WAHIS )

Additional information :

– OIE Wildlife Health Framework

– OIE Guidelines for working with free-ranging wild mammals in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic

– OIE Guidance on working with farmed animals of species susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2

– Guidance on SARS-CoV-2 and Free-ranging White-Tailed Deer (U.S Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies)

https://www.oie.int/en/oie-statement-on-monitoring-white-tailed-deer-for-sars-cov-2/

[Pathfinder]

Is the Coronavirus in Your Backyard?
...

By Emily Anthes and Sabrina Imbler
Feb. 7, 2022, 5:00 a.m. ET
...
If white-tailed deer become a reservoir for the virus, the pathogen could mutate and spread to other animals or back to us. Adaptation in animals is one route by which new variants are likely to emerge.

“This is a top concern right now for the United States,” said Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, who directs the One Health Office — which focuses on connections between human, animal and environmental health — at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“If deer were to become established as a North American wildlife reservoir, and we do think they’re at risk of that, there are real concerns for the health of other wildlife species, livestock, pets and even people,” she added.

The virus is likely to continue circulating in deer, many experts predicted. But crucial questions remain unanswered: How are deer catching the virus? How might the pathogen mutate inside its cervid hosts? And could the animals pass it back to us?

White-tailed deer are a “black box” for the virus, said Stephanie Seifert, an expert on zoonotic diseases at Washington State University: “We know that the virus has been introduced multiple times, we know that there’s onward transmission. But we don’t know how the virus is adapting or how it will continue to adapt.”
...

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/07/health/coronavirus-deer-animals.html