The University of Texas at El Paso researchers have confirmed Covid-19 infection in Texas Deer. COVID-19 was found in white-tailed deer in Texas.
The UTEP team published the findings in Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases wherein they have reported first evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in deer from Texas, which widens the previously reported geographical range of COVID-19 among deer in the United States, further confirming that infection was common among the species.
While the mechanisms of COVID-19 transmission between humans and animals is still being investigated, the UTEP team’s study suggests that deer should not be neglected as a possible source of SARS-CoV-2 infection among humans as well as domestic and wildlife animals.
The study author explains that the results of this research raise many questions regarding infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among wild and domestic animals.
The team studied blood samples collected from deer of various ages in Travis County, Texas, during the first two months of 2021, amid the pandemic. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies was found in more than a third of the samples, including a significant prevalence among deer that were 1.5 years old, indicating that the disease is rampant among one of the most abundant wildlife species, particularly among males.
The 37% antibody prevalence observed in this study is comparable to the 40% rate reported in deer in other states including Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York.
The research was funded by a grant from the National Institutes on Minority Health and Health Disparities, a component of the National Institutes of Health.
