Covid-19 is rampant among deer: “That could complicate containment of pandemic” | Coronavirus what you need to know

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In Ohio, among others, nasal swabs were taken from 360 wild white-tailed deer. More than a third of the animals were infected. The deer were also found to be infected with virus variants that were common among Covid patients in the state. The researchers also found six mutations in deer that are uncommon in humans.

A similar study in Iowa of dead deer tissue led to the same result: The virus is widespread among the deer population. The coronavirus is believed to have been transmitted from humans to animals.

The study suggests that the coronavirus could thus take hold of a wild animal species that numbers about 30 million in the US. If deer are hosts of the coronavirus, they may also be able to pass it on to other animals. There have been no reported cases of deer transmitting Covid to humans so far, but it is possible, scientists believe.

Widespread and persistent circulation of the virus in deer can pose a risk to humans if mutations in deer create a new variant. A population of wild animals harboring the virus can also maintain older variants that are no longer common among humans and then eventually make a comeback.

“The fact that these things could happen makes the whole thing troubling,” said Suresh Kuchipudi, a virologist at Pennsylvania State University.

Researchers cannot say for sure how deer become infected or whether the virus will continue to proliferate in this population. “If they keep the virus alive, that’s a very different host that we need to consider for any future variants – then see if the effectiveness of current vaccines is affected and how to control the spread of the coronavirus ”, explains Ohio State University professor Andrew Bowman. “It complicates things considerably.”

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