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. 2021 Nov 23;118(47):e2114828118.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.2114828118.

SARS-CoV-2 exposure in wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Jeffrey C Chandler  1 , Sarah N Bevins  1 , Jeremy W Ellis  1 , Timothy J Linder  2 , Rachel M Tell  3 , Melinda Jenkins-Moore  3 , J Jeffrey Root  1 , Julianna B Lenoch  2 , Suelee Robbe-Austerman  3 , Thomas J DeLiberto  1 , Thomas Gidlewski  2 , Mia Kim Torchetti  3 , Susan A Shriner  4
Affiliations

SARS-CoV-2 exposure in wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Jeffrey C Chandler et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .

Abstract

Widespread human SARS-CoV-2 infections combined with human-wildlife interactions create the potential for reverse zoonosis from humans to wildlife. We targeted white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for serosurveillance based on evidence these deer have angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors with high affinity for SARS-CoV-2, are permissive to infection, exhibit sustained viral shedding, can transmit to conspecifics, exhibit social behavior, and can be abundant near urban centers. We evaluated 624 prepandemic and postpandemic serum samples from wild deer from four US 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 tested with a SARS-CoV-2 virus neutralization test showed high concordance between tests. These data suggest white-tailed deer in the populations assessed have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; deer; wildlife disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Boxplot of SARS-CoV-2 serological results for WTD tested with the Genscript cPass sVNT. Boxes outline the interquartile range, which is the range of the middle 50% of values, horizontal bars are medians, and dots are individual sample results.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection in WTD sampled in 2021 in the United States. Circle size indicates the relative number of samples tested, color intensity represents relative seroprevalence, and numbers are county-level seroprevalence.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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