SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) Infection of Wild White-Tailed Deer in New York City

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 14; no. 12; p. 2770
• Main Authors: Vandegrift, Kurt J, Yon, Michele, Surendran Nair, Meera, Gontu, Abhinay, Ramasamy, Santhamani, Amirthalingam, Saranya, Neerukonda, Sabarinath, Nissly, Ruth H, Chothe, Shubhada K, Jakka, Padmaja, LaBella, Lindsey, Levine, Nicole, Rodriguez, Sophie, Chen, Chen, Sheersh Boorla, Veda, Stuber, Tod, Boulanger, Jason R, Kotschwar, Nathan, Aucoin, Sarah Grimké, Simon, Richard, Toal, Katrina L, Olsen, Randall J, Davis, James J, Bold, Dashzeveg, Gaudreault, Natasha N, Dinali Perera, Krishani, Kim, Yunjeong, Chang, Kyeong-Ok, Maranas, Costas D, Richt, Juergen A, Musser, James M, Hudson, Peter J, Kapur, Vivek, Kuchipudi, Suresh V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 12.12.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Animal populations; Animals; Animals, Wild; Antibodies; Antigens; Cartography; Cats; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - veterinary; Deer; disease ecology; enzootic transmission; Health aspects; Humans; Infections; New York City - epidemiology; Odocoileus virginianus; omicron; Plasmids; Proteins; reinfection; reservoir competence; Risk factors; RNA, Viral - genetics; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 - genetics; Seroconversion; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; spillover; variant of concern; Viruses; White-tailed deer; Wildlife; Zoonoses; zoonotic; New York City; United States; New York; United States > US; New York City New York; spillover; SARS-CoV-2; reinfection; omicron; enzootic transmission; white-tailed deer; variant of concern; reservoir competence; disease ecology; zoonotic; Odocoileus virginianus
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v14122770

There is mounting evidence of SARS-CoV-2 spillover from humans into many domestic, companion, and wild animal species. Research indicates that humans have infected white-tailed deer, and that deer-to-deer transmission has occurred, indicating that deer could be a wildlife reservoir and a source of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants. We examined the hypothesis that the Omicron variant is actively and asymptomatically infecting the free-ranging deer of New York City. Between December 2021 and February 2022, 155 deer on Staten Island, New York, were anesthetized and examined for gross abnormalities and illnesses. Paired nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antibodies. Of 135 serum samples, 19 (14.1%) indicated SARS-CoV-2 exposure, and 11 reacted most strongly to the wild-type B.1 lineage. Of the 71 swabs, 8 were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA (4 Omicron and 4 Delta). Two of the animals had active infections and robust neutralizing antibodies, revealing evidence of reinfection or early seroconversion in deer. Variants of concern continue to circulate among and may reinfect US deer populations, and establish enzootic transmission cycles in the wild: this warrants a coordinated One Health response, to proactively surveil, identify, and curtail variants of concern before they can spill back into humans.