SARS-CoV-2 has not emerged in roe, red or fallow deer in Germany or Austria during the COVID 19 pandemic

Moreira-Soto, Andrés; Walzer, Chris; Czirják, Gábor Á.; Richter, Martin; Marino, Stephen F.; Posautz, Annika; Yebra, Pau Rodo de; McEwen, Gayle; Drexler, Jan Felix; Greenwood, Alex D.

doi:10.1101/2022.02.18.480872

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Neutralization profile of each sample is shown in Figure 3(a), and the titer values (IC50) are shown in Figures 3(b) and 3(c). All samples in this study seropositive for sVNT were also positive for cVNT, in contrast to other studies that reported deer sera with cross-reactive antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 RBD, with a positive result for sVNT but negative for cVNT, probably induced by another deer coronavirus antigenically related to SARS-CoV-2 [28].…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Given the high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in North American deer, numerous attempts to search for the virus in European deer have been made, but have so far been unsuccessful. SARS-CoV-2 surveys conducted in Germany and Austria during 2020-2022 resulted negative in European roe deer (ERD, Capreolus capreolus), red deer (RD, Cervus elaphus), and fallow deer (FD, Dama dama) [28,29]. Similarly, serological surveys in UK, conducted from January 2020 to May 2021, resulted negative [30], as well as in Belgium [31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies in Free-Ranging Fallow Deer (Dama dama) and Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) in Suburban and Rural Areas in Spain

Encinas,

Escalera,

Aydillo

et al. 2023

Transboundary and Emerging Diseases

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Effective control of zoonotic infectious diseases requires identifying the animal species involved in the infectious cycle as transmitters or reservoirs where the pathogen could persist and evolve, increasing the risk of reintroduction of new variants in humans and animals. Multiple surveillance studies have detected the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) or specific antibodies in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in North America, being the wild mammal species with the most reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, so far, all attempts to detect the infection in European cervids have been unsuccessful. In this study, we demonstrated the presence of specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in European fallow deer (Dama dama) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Spain. However, all samples of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), taxonomically related to the American white-tailed deer, were seronegative for the virus. We tested 215 serum samples from roe deer (n = 116), red deer (n = 63), and fallow deer (n = 36) collected in eight provinces of central-southern Spain between 2017 and 2022. We first screened sera by a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) ELISA based on the binding of the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and then confirmed positive samples by a conventional virus neutralization test (cVNT) against the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants. Four fallow deer and two red deer samples were seropositive in both neutralization assays. Four samples of fallow deer and one of red deer, collected in a suburban park near Madrid in February 2022, had antibodies against the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants, while a seropositive sample of red deer, collected in a rural area in February 2021, was specific for the Delta variant. All samples collected before the start of the pandemic in Spain were seronegative for sVNT, which also indicates that there are not cross-reactive antibodies potentially elicited by other viruses antigenically related to SARS-CoV-2. The results indicate probable human-to-deer transmission of SARS-CoV-2, but do not clarify whether there was subsequent spread within herds.

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Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies in Free-Ranging Fallow Deer (Dama dama) and Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) in Suburban and Rural Areas in Spain

Encinas,

Escalera,

Aydillo

et al. 2023

Transboundary and Emerging Diseases

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First Eurasian cases of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in a free-ranging urban population of wild fallow deer

Purves

Brown

Haverty

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects wildlife. Recent studies highlighted that variants of concern (VOC) may expand into novel animal reservoirs with the potential for reverse zoonosis. North American white-tailed deer are the only deer species in which SARS-CoV-2 has been documented, raising the question whether further reservoir species exist as new VOC emerge. Here, we report the first cases of deer SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in Eurasia, in a city population of fallow deer in Dublin, Ireland. Deer were seronegative in 2020 (circulating variant in humans: Alpha), one animal was seropositive in 2021 (Delta variant), and 57% of animals tested in 2022 were seropositive (Omicron variant). Ex vivo, a clinical isolate of Omicron BA.1 infected fallow deer precision cut lung slice type-2 pneumocytes, also a major target of infection in human lungs. Our findings suggest a change in host tropism as new variants emerged in the human reservoir, highlighting the importance of continued wildlife disease monitoring and limiting human-wildlife contacts.

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Lack of SARS-CoV-2 Viral RNA Detection among a Convenience Sampling of Ohio Wildlife, Companion, and Agricultural Animals, 2020–2021

Ehrlich

Madden

McBride

et al. 2023

Animals

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in humans in late 2019 and spread rapidly, becoming a global pandemic. A zoonotic spillover event from animal to human was identified as the presumed origin. Subsequently, reports began emerging regarding spillback events resulting in SARS-CoV-2 infections in multiple animal species. These events highlighted critical links between animal and human health while also raising concerns about the development of new reservoir hosts and potential viral mutations that could alter the virulence and transmission or evade immune responses. Characterizing susceptibility, prevalence, and transmission between animal species became a priority to help protect animal and human health. In this study, we coalesced a large team of investigators and community partners to surveil for SARS-CoV-2 in domestic and free-ranging animals around Ohio between May 2020 and August 2021. We focused on species with known or predicted susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, highly congregated or medically compromised animals (e.g., shelters, barns, veterinary hospitals), and animals that had frequent contact with humans (e.g., pets, agricultural animals, zoo animals, or animals in wildlife hospitals). This included free-ranging deer (n = 76 individuals), free-ranging mink (n = 57), multiple species of bats (n = 59), and other wildlife in addition to domestic cats (n = 275) and pigs (n = 184). In total, we tested 792 individual animals (34 species) via rRT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA was not detected in any of the tested animals despite a major peak in human SARS-CoV-2 cases that occurred in Ohio subsequent to the peak of animal samplings. Importantly, we did not test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in this study, which limited our ability to assess exposure. While the results of this study were negative, the surveillance effort was critical and remains key to understanding, predicting, and preventing the re-emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in humans or animals.

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SARS-CoV-2 has not emerged in roe, red or fallow deer in Germany or Austria during the COVID 19 pandemic

Cited by 6 publications

References 13 publications

SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies in Free-Ranging Fallow Deer (Dama dama) and Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) in Suburban and Rural Areas in Spain

SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies in Free-Ranging Fallow Deer (Dama dama) and Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) in Suburban and Rural Areas in Spain

First Eurasian cases of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in a free-ranging urban population of wild fallow deer

Lack of SARS-CoV-2 Viral RNA Detection among a Convenience Sampling of Ohio Wildlife, Companion, and Agricultural Animals, 2020–2021

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