Low Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Farmed and Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer in Florida
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been detected in multiple animal species, including white-tailed deer (WTD), raising concerns about zoonotic transmission, particularly in environments with frequent human interactions. To understand how human exposure influences SARS-...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/12/1886 |
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| author | Savannah G. Grace Kristen N. Wilson Rayann Dorleans Zoe S. White Ruiyu Pu Natasha N. Gaudreault Konner Cool Juan M. Campos Krauer Laura E. Franklin Bambi C. Clemons Kuttichantran Subramaniam Juergen A. Richt John A. Lednicky Maureen T. Long Samantha M. Wisely |
| author_facet | Savannah G. Grace Kristen N. Wilson Rayann Dorleans Zoe S. White Ruiyu Pu Natasha N. Gaudreault Konner Cool Juan M. Campos Krauer Laura E. Franklin Bambi C. Clemons Kuttichantran Subramaniam Juergen A. Richt John A. Lednicky Maureen T. Long Samantha M. Wisely |
| author_sort | Savannah G. Grace |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been detected in multiple animal species, including white-tailed deer (WTD), raising concerns about zoonotic transmission, particularly in environments with frequent human interactions. To understand how human exposure influences SARS-CoV-2 infection in WTD, we compared infection and exposure prevalence between farmed and free-ranging deer populations in Florida. We also examined the timing and viral variants in WTD relative to those in Florida’s human population. Between 2020 and 2022, we collected respiratory swabs (N = 366), lung tissue (N = 245), retropharyngeal lymph nodes (N = 491), and serum specimens (N = 381) from 410 farmed and 524 free-ranging WTD. Specimens were analyzed using RT-qPCR for infection and serological assays for exposure. SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected in less than 1% of both northern Florida farmed (0.85%) and free-ranging (0.76%) WTD. No farmed deer possessed virus-neutralizing antibodies, while one free-ranging WTD tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (3.45%). Viral sequences in infected WTD matched peaks in human cases and circulating variants, indicating human-to-deer spillover but at a lower frequency than reported elsewhere. Our findings suggest a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 spillover to WTD in northern Florida compared to other regions, highlighting the need for further research on transmission dynamics across North America. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-21c66e8667274e2a949bfde2c7ee7ad6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj-art-21c66e8667274e2a949bfde2c7ee7ad62024-12-27T14:59:08ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152024-12-011612188610.3390/v16121886Low Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Farmed and Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer in FloridaSavannah G. Grace0Kristen N. Wilson1Rayann Dorleans2Zoe S. White3Ruiyu Pu4Natasha N. Gaudreault5Konner Cool6Juan M. Campos Krauer7Laura E. Franklin8Bambi C. Clemons9Kuttichantran Subramaniam10Juergen A. Richt11John A. Lednicky12Maureen T. Long13Samantha M. Wisely14Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USADepartment of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USADepartment of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USADepartment of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAEmerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USADepartment of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USADepartment of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USADepartment of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USADepartment of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAFish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL 32601, USAEmerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USADepartment of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USAEmerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USAEmerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USADepartment of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USASevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been detected in multiple animal species, including white-tailed deer (WTD), raising concerns about zoonotic transmission, particularly in environments with frequent human interactions. To understand how human exposure influences SARS-CoV-2 infection in WTD, we compared infection and exposure prevalence between farmed and free-ranging deer populations in Florida. We also examined the timing and viral variants in WTD relative to those in Florida’s human population. Between 2020 and 2022, we collected respiratory swabs (N = 366), lung tissue (N = 245), retropharyngeal lymph nodes (N = 491), and serum specimens (N = 381) from 410 farmed and 524 free-ranging WTD. Specimens were analyzed using RT-qPCR for infection and serological assays for exposure. SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected in less than 1% of both northern Florida farmed (0.85%) and free-ranging (0.76%) WTD. No farmed deer possessed virus-neutralizing antibodies, while one free-ranging WTD tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (3.45%). Viral sequences in infected WTD matched peaks in human cases and circulating variants, indicating human-to-deer spillover but at a lower frequency than reported elsewhere. Our findings suggest a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 spillover to WTD in northern Florida compared to other regions, highlighting the need for further research on transmission dynamics across North America.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/12/1886SARS-CoV-2zoonotic transmissionwhite-tailed deerFlorida |
| spellingShingle | Savannah G. Grace Kristen N. Wilson Rayann Dorleans Zoe S. White Ruiyu Pu Natasha N. Gaudreault Konner Cool Juan M. Campos Krauer Laura E. Franklin Bambi C. Clemons Kuttichantran Subramaniam Juergen A. Richt John A. Lednicky Maureen T. Long Samantha M. Wisely Low Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Farmed and Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer in Florida Viruses SARS-CoV-2 zoonotic transmission white-tailed deer Florida |
| title | Low Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Farmed and Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer in Florida |
| title_full | Low Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Farmed and Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer in Florida |
| title_fullStr | Low Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Farmed and Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer in Florida |
| title_full_unstemmed | Low Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Farmed and Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer in Florida |
| title_short | Low Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Farmed and Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer in Florida |
| title_sort | low prevalence of sars cov 2 in farmed and free ranging white tailed deer in florida |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 zoonotic transmission white-tailed deer Florida |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/12/1886 |
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