Deer exposed to COVID-19

Photo courtesy National Park Service

White-tail deer populations in four states have been tested for COVID-19 antibodieand a third of them tested positive.  

Mitchell V. Palmer, Mathias Martins and 12 other researchers conducted a study in 2020 on white-tail deer to determine their susceptibility to the COVID-19 virus. The study, “Susceptibility of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to SARS-CoV-2” was published May 10, in The Journal of Virology.

Palmer and Martins conducted the study by inoculating a group of fawns with COVID-19. The infected group of fawns was then placed in a pen separated from a group of virus free fawns. Plexi-glass separated the groups but with air flowing from the infected group to the noninfected group.  

The study determined that white-tail deer are susceptible to COVID-19, but most of them did not experience respiratory problems, usually associated with the virus.    

This month USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published the results of a study that had been done to determine if wild white-tail deer populations posses COVID-19 antibodies.  

White-tail deer populations in Illinois, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania were tested for COVID-19 antibodies. A total of 481 samples were collected 101 from Illinois, 113 from Michigan, 68 from New York and 199 samples from Pennsylvania.  

About one third of the samples tested positive for antibodies. Seven of the samples in Illinois, 19% of New York samples, 31% of Pennsylvania and 57% of Michigan. 

According to APHIS, the study was done after it was discovered that other animal species were susceptible to the virus. There are 30 million white-tail deer in the U.S. and come into contact with people often, this put them at risk for infection from COVID-19. 

The first positive antibody test was done before January 2020.  This test is considered to be a false positive, according to APHIS. The low level detection was at the minimum for a positive test. 

The USDA is not yet aware of how white-tail deer were exposed to the virus. 

Although the disease is considered zoonotic, according to APHIS, there is no evidence to show that exposed white-tail deer can pass COVID-19 to humans.

There is currently no evidence that  consuming exposed white-tail deer is dangerous. APHIS does recommended that hunters work with caution to avoid any issues with big game diseases. 

APHIS is working with other federal agencies to determine if further research and surveillance is needed.