Transmission of COVID-19 to Deer Raises Concerns

Scientists have found SARS-CoV-2 infection among white-tailed deer in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania, raising concerns about mutations and animal-to-human transmission. Additionally, COVID-19 has been found in zoo animals, with three snow leopards succumbing to the viral infection at Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska this month after receiving COVID-19 diagnoses in October. These instances all involve human-to-animal transmission. While scientists note the risk of animal-to-human transmission is probably low, the likelihood that SARS-CoV-2 will mutate while residing in animal hosts—creating a new variant—is high. Click here to read more.