Hale Vanessa L, Dennis Patricia M, McBride Dillon S, Nolting Jaqueline M, Madden Christopher, Huey Devra, Ehrlich Margot, Grieser Jennifer, Winston Jenessa, Lombardi Dusty, Gibson Stormy, Saif Linda, Killian Mary L, Lantz Kristina, Tell Rachel, Torchetti Mia, Robbe-Austerman Suelee, Nelson Martha I, Faith Seth A, Bowman Andrew S
Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine; Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo; Cleveland, OH, 44109, USA.
bioRxiv. 2021 Nov 5:2021.11.04.467308. doi: 10.1101/2021.11.04.467308.
Human-to-animal spillover of SARS-CoV-2 virus has occurred in a wide range of animals, but thus far, the establishment of a new natural animal reservoir has not been detected. Here, we detected SARS-CoV-2 virus using rRT-PCR in 129 out of 360 (35.8%) free-ranging white-tailed deer ( ) from northeast Ohio (USA) sampled between January-March 2021. Deer in 6 locations were infected with at least 3 lineages of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.2, B.1.596, B.1.582). The B.1.2 viruses, dominant in Ohio at the time, spilled over multiple times into deer populations in different locations. Deer-to-deer transmission may have occurred in three locations. The establishment of a natural reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer could facilitate divergent evolutionary trajectories and future spillback to humans, further complicating long-term COVID-19 control strategies.
ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY: A significant proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging US white-tailed deer reveals a potential new reservoir.
严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2(SARS-CoV-2)病毒已在多种动物中发生人传人,但迄今为止,尚未检测到新的天然动物宿主的形成。在此,我们使用逆转录-实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应(rRT-PCR)在美国俄亥俄州东北部2021年1月至3月期间采集的360只自由放养的白尾鹿中检测到129只(35.8%)感染了SARS-CoV-2病毒。6个地点的鹿感染了至少3种SARS-CoV-2谱系(B.1.2、B.1.596、B.1.582)。当时在俄亥俄州占主导地位的B.1.2病毒多次传播到不同地点的鹿群中。在三个地点可能发生了鹿与鹿之间的传播。白尾鹿中SARS-CoV-2天然宿主的形成可能会促进不同的进化轨迹以及未来病毒再传播给人类,从而使长期的2019冠状病毒病(COVID-19)控制策略更加复杂。
美国自由放养的白尾鹿中相当比例的SARS-CoV-2感染揭示了一个潜在的新宿主。