Covid transmitted from humans to deer and back
image for illustrative purpose
New York: SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19, was transmitted from humans to deer, mutated, and was potentially transmitted back to humans many times, according to a study by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, showed that SARS-CoV-2 is likely to have spread widely within the US white-tailed deer population (Odocoileus virginianus).
It showed that in late 2021 and early 2022, “SARS-CoV-2 was transmitted from humans to white-tailed deer at least 106 times in the US, mutated, and then in three instances may have been transmitted back to humans,” the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said in a statement.
“This research is helping us understand if cervids, such as white-tailed deer, are acting as a host or “reservoir species,” meaning an animal host where the virus can survive and potentially change,” it added.
