Screening of wild deer populations for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom, 2020-2021.

Holding, Maya; Otter, Ashley David; Dowall, Stuart; Takumi, Katsuhisa; Hicks, Bethany; Coleman, Tom; Hemingway, Georgia; Royds, Matthew; Findlay-Wilson, Stephen; Curran-French, Mollie; +3 more... Vipond, Richard; Sprong, Hein; Hewson, Roger; (2022) Screening of wild deer populations for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom, 2020-2021. TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES, 69 (5). e3244-e3249. ISSN 1865-1674 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.14534

Abstract

Following findings in Northern America of SARS-CoV-2 infections in white-tailed deer, there is concern of similar infections in European deer and their potential as reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 including opportunities for the emergence of new variants. UK deer sera were collected in 2020-2021 from 6 species and a hybrid with 1748 tested using anti-spike and anti-nucleocapsid serology assays. No samples were positive on both assays nor by surrogate neutralization testing. There is no evidence that spill-over infections of SARS-CoV-2 occurred from the human population to UK deer or that SARS-CoV-2 has been circulating in UK deer (over the study period). Although it cannot be ruled out, study results indicate that spill-over infections followed by circulation of SARS-CoV-2 to the most common European deer species is small.

Additional Information

Item Type	Article
Faculty and Department	Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases > Department of Infection Biology
Research Centre	Covid-19 Research
PubMed ID	35338581
Elements ID	176035