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

Chandler, J. C.; Bevins, S. N.; Ellis, J. W.; Linder, T. J.; Tell, R. M.; Jenkins-Moore, M.; Root, J. J.; Lenoch, J. B.; Robbe-Austerman, S.; DeLiberto, T. J.; Gidlewski, T.; Torchetti, M. K.; Shriner, S. A.

doi:10.1101/2021.07.29.454326

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2021.07.29.454326

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

Chandler, J. C.·Bevins, S. N.·Ellis, J. W.·Linder, T. J.·Tell, R. M.·Jenkins-Moore, M.·Root, J. J.·Lenoch, J. B.·Robbe-Austerman, S.·DeLiberto, T. J.·Gidlewski, T.·Torchetti, M. K.·Shriner, S. A.

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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 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. One-Sentence SummaryAntibodies to SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 40% of wild white-tailed deer sampled from four U.S. states in 2021.

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Chandler, J. C., Bevins, S. N., Ellis, J. W., Linder, T. J., Tell, R. M., Jenkins-Moore, M., Root, J. J., Lenoch, J. B., Robbe-Austerman, S., DeLiberto, T. J., Gidlewski, T., Torchetti, M. K., Shriner, S. A.. 2021-07-29. SARS-CoV-2 exposure in wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.29.454326

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