Abstract

Widespread human SARS-CoV-2 infections combined with human-wildlife interactions create the potential for reverse zoonosis from humans to wildlife. We targeted whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for serosurveillance based on evidence these deer have ACE2 receptors with high affinity for SARS-CoV-2, are permissive to infection, exhibit sustained viral shedding, can transmit to conspecifics, and can be abundant near urban centers. We evaluated 624 pre- and post-pandemic serum samples from wild deer from four U.S. states for SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Antibodies were detected in 152 samples (40%) from 2021 using a surrogate virus neutralization test. A subset of samples was tested using a SARS-CoV-2 virus neutralization test with high concordance between tests. These data suggest white-tailed deer in the populations assessed have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Details

Title
SARS-CoV-2 exposure in wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Author
Chandler, Jeffrey C; Bevins, Sarah N; Ellis, Jeremy W; Linder, Timothy J; Tell, Rachel M; Jenkins-Moore, Melinda; Root, J Jeffrey; Lenoch, Julianna B; Robbe-Austerman, Suelee; Deliberto, Thomas J; Gidlewski, Thomas; Mia Kim Torchetti; Shriner, Susan A
University/institution
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
Section
New Results
Publication year
2021
Publication date
Jul 29, 2021
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
ISSN
2692-8205
Source type
Working Paper
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.29.454326
ProQuest document ID
2556162571
Copyright
© 2021. This article is published under https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ (“the License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.