Viruses (Dec 2022)
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) Infection of Wild White-Tailed Deer in New York City
- Kurt J. Vandegrift,
- Michele Yon,
- Meera Surendran Nair,
- Abhinay Gontu,
- Santhamani Ramasamy,
- Saranya Amirthalingam,
- Sabarinath Neerukonda,
- Ruth H. Nissly,
- Shubhada K. Chothe,
- Padmaja Jakka,
- Lindsey LaBella,
- Nicole Levine,
- Sophie Rodriguez,
- Chen Chen,
- Veda Sheersh Boorla,
- Tod Stuber,
- Jason R. Boulanger,
- Nathan Kotschwar,
- Sarah Grimké Aucoin,
- Richard Simon,
- Katrina L. Toal,
- Randall J. Olsen,
- James J. Davis,
- Dashzeveg Bold,
- Natasha N. Gaudreault,
- Krishani Dinali Perera,
- Yunjeong Kim,
- Kyeong-Ok Chang,
- Costas D. Maranas,
- Juergen A. Richt,
- James M. Musser,
- Peter J. Hudson,
- Vivek Kapur,
- Suresh V. Kuchipudi
Affiliations
- Kurt J. Vandegrift
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Michele Yon
- Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Meera Surendran Nair
- Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Abhinay Gontu
- Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Santhamani Ramasamy
- Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Saranya Amirthalingam
- Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Sabarinath Neerukonda
- United States Department of Health and Human Services, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
- Ruth H. Nissly
- Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Shubhada K. Chothe
- Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Padmaja Jakka
- Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Lindsey LaBella
- Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Nicole Levine
- Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Sophie Rodriguez
- Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Chen Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Veda Sheersh Boorla
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Tod Stuber
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Veterinary Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA 50010, USA
- Jason R. Boulanger
- White Buffalo, Inc., Chester, CT 06412, USA
- Nathan Kotschwar
- White Buffalo, Inc., Chester, CT 06412, USA
- Sarah Grimké Aucoin
- City of New York Parks & Recreation, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Richard Simon
- City of New York Parks & Recreation, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Katrina L. Toal
- City of New York Parks & Recreation, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Randall J. Olsen
- Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Disease Research, Center for Infectious Diseases, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- James J. Davis
- Consortium for Advanced Science and Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Dashzeveg Bold
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
- Natasha N. Gaudreault
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
- Krishani Dinali Perera
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
- Yunjeong Kim
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
- Kyeong-Ok Chang
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
- Costas D. Maranas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Juergen A. Richt
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
- James M. Musser
- Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Disease Research, Center for Infectious Diseases, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Peter J. Hudson
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Vivek Kapur
- The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Suresh V. Kuchipudi
- The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/v14122770
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 14,
no. 12
p. 2770
Abstract
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.
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