Researchers identify SARS-CoV-2 variant in white-tailed deer, evidence of deer-to-human transmission
November 14, 2022
https://phys.org/news/2022-11-sars-cov- ... dence.html
Then, in 2021, researchers in the United States started reporting widespread exposure of deer to SARS-CoV-2, which prompted [Samira] Mubareka and her colleagues to focus their efforts on the white-tailed deer commonly found throughout Ontario and Quebec.... In what became the first detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Canadian wildlife, the group confirmed SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in nasal swabs from three deer in southern Quebec, including two from which they were able to isolate live virus. In a new study published in Nature Microbiology, Mubareka and colleagues identified a new and highly divergent variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Ontario white-tailed deer, and the first evidence of deer-to-human transmission.
The new variant is a descendent of an older, parental B.1 virus and has 76 mutations compared to the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain. In comparison, the alpha, beta and delta variants had between 24 and 31 mutations while the currently dominant omicron BA.5 variant has 105 mutations.
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Rather than deter people from interacting with deer altogether, the Public Health Agency of Canada issued new recommendations to reduce risk for hunters, trappers and other people who work closely with wildlife. These include wearing appropriate personal protective equipment when handling a carcass, processing carcasses outdoors or in a well-ventilated area and cooking meat to an internal temperature of 74 C [165.2° Fahrenheit] to kill any parasites, viruses or bacteria.