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

Authors

Jeffrey C. Chandler, APHIS, USDA
Sarah N. Bevins, USDA National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
Jeremy W. Ellis, USDA APHIS NWRCFollow
Timothy J. Linder, APHIS, USDA
Rachel M. Tell, APHIS, USDA
Melinda Jenkins-Moore, APHIS, USDA
J. Jeffrey Root, APHIS, USDAFollow
Julianna B. Lenoch, APHIS, USDA
Suelee Robbe-Austerman, APHIS, USDA
Thomas J. DeLiberto, USDA-APHIS NWRCFollow
Tom Gidlewski, National Wildlife Disease ProgramFollow
Mia Kim Torchetti, USDA ARSFollow
Susan A. Shriner, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow

ORCID IDs

Jeffrey C. Chandler https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3318-135X

J. Jeffrey Root https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4177-1824

Thomas J. DeLiberto https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1115-1472

Susan A. Shriner https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0349-7182

Date of this Version

2021

Citation

Chandler, J.C., S.N. Bevins, J.W. Ellis, T.J. Linder, R.M. Tell, M. Jenkins-Moore, J.J. Root, J.B. Lenoch, S. Robbe-Austerman, T.J. DeLiberto, T. Gidlewski, M.K. Torchetti, and S.A. Shriner. 2021. SARS-CoV-2 exposure in wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118(47):e2114828118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2114828118

Comments

U.S. government work

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.