Grace Savannah G, Wilson Kristen N, Dorleans Rayann, White Zoe S, Pu Ruiyu, Gaudreault Natasha N, Cool Konner, Campos Krauer Juan M, Franklin Laura E, Clemons Bambi C, Subramaniam Kuttichantran, Richt Juergen A, Lednicky John A, Long Maureen T, Wisely Samantha M
Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
Viruses. 2024 Dec 6;16(12):1886. doi: 10.3390/v16121886.
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.
在包括白尾鹿（WTD）在内的多种动物物种中都检测到了严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2），这引发了人们对人畜共患病传播的担忧，尤其是在人类互动频繁的环境中。为了解人类接触如何影响WTD感染SARS-CoV-2，我们比较了佛罗里达州养殖鹿群和自由放养鹿群之间的感染率和接触率。我们还研究了WTD相对于佛罗里达州人类群体的感染时间和病毒变体。在2020年至2022年期间，我们从410只养殖WTD和524只自由放养WTD中收集了呼吸道拭子（N = 366）、肺组织（N = 245）、咽后淋巴结（N = 491）和血清样本（N = 381）。使用逆转录定量聚合酶链反应（RT-qPCR）分析样本以检测感染情况，并通过血清学检测分析接触情况。在佛罗里达州北部，养殖WTD（0.85%）和自由放养WTD（0.76%）中检测到SARS-CoV-2感染的比例均不到1%。没有养殖鹿拥有病毒中和抗体，而一只自由放养WTD的SARS-CoV-2抗体检测呈阳性（3.45%）。感染WTD中的病毒序列与人类病例中的峰值和流行变体相匹配，表明存在人传鹿的溢出，但频率低于其他地方的报道。我们的研究结果表明，与其他地区相比，佛罗里达州北部SARS-CoV-2溢出到WTD的风险较低，这凸显了对北美传播动态进行进一步研究的必要性。
