Deer found to be infected with COVID-19 in Quebec.No positive test so far in BC

Canada’s Environment and Climate Change Ministry confirmed Wednesday that white-tailed deer in Quebec were infected with the COVID-19 virus.

This is the first time a virus has been detected in Canadian wildlife.

It was found in three white-tailed deer in the Estrie region of Quebec, according to findings confirmed by the National Zoonosis Center.

Samples were collected through the Big Game Registration Station in southern Quebec between November 6th and 8th. The deer showed no clinical signs of illness and were all clearly healthy, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Canada said.

According to the latest research, COVID-19 is a predominantly human-to-human disease, with a low risk of deer-to-human transmission in Canada.

However, Gabriel Brunett, a spokesman for the Environment Canada, said the finding was a continuation of SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife, as information on the effects and spread of the virus in wild deer populations is limited. He said he emphasized the importance of conventional surveillance.

A USDA animal and plant quarantine survey found antibodies against the COVID virus in 33% of white-tailed deer sampled in New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Illinois between January 2020 and March 2021. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, there are about 30 million white-tailed deer in the United States, and animals often come into close contact with humans.

“Study the susceptibility of certain mammals, such as deer, to the SARS-CoV-2 virus will help identify species that may serve as a reservoir or host for the virus, and to understand the origin of the virus. It also helps predict the impact on wildlife and the risk of cross-species transmission. “

The USDA does not know how the deer was exposed to the virus, but states that it may have been mediated by humans, the environment, other deer, or other animal species. However, there is no evidence that deer play an important role in spreading the virus to people.

A second study by Penn State University found that more than 80% of white-tailed deer sampled at various locations in Iowa between December 2020 and January 2021 were SARS-CoV-2 positive. ..

The study found that 33% of all deer were positive, suggesting that white-tailed deer may be a reservoir for continuous virus circulation. The findings raise concerns about the emergence of new strains of wildlife and possibly human-threatening viruses.

Canadian scientists are aware of US research and are conducting their own research through the Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service, BC Wildlife Veterinary Caeley Thacker said in an interview last week. ..

Researchers are collecting samples to look for SARS-CoV-2 in deer and other wildlife species, Soccer said. Samples collected from British Columbia deer in November have not yet been tested, but “as I know, no positives were found in previous samples from British Columbia wildlife.”

Scientists are interested in finding out if deer and wildlife carry the virus and can become a reservoir of disease, she said. “It means that it survives in wild populations and raises concerns that it can spread to humans, depending on viral strains, wildlife species, and human interactions.”

Black-tailed deer can be found on Vancouver Island and the coast. The rest of the state has white-tailed deer and the more common mule deer. Experimental studies with captive deer have shown that mule deer can be as susceptible to the virus as white-tailed deer.

“But I don’t know what it looks like in the wild,” said football. “And the virus has not yet been detected in mule deer.”

Black-tailed deer can be infected, but what matters is whether they develop any symptoms and whether they can be transmitted, veterinarians said.

“Animals can get infected, but they may get sick or unable to get infected,” said Soccer. “Even if you find a positive in BC, more research will be needed to know the risks to humans.”

Environment and Climate Change Canada advises people to wear appropriate masks, hand hygiene and avoid spraying fluids from tissues when exposed to respiratory tissues and deer fluids. .. The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative publishes guidelines on wildlife health and the handling of SARS-CoV-2 on its website (cwhc-rcsf.ca/covid-19.php).

“In the early days of this pandemic, we didn’t know which species could carry or infect the virus. The more we learn, the more we know, so more. We are taking precautionary measures, “said Soccer.

The virus infects many species around the world, including farmed mink, cats, dogs, ferrets, tigers, lions, gorillas, cougars, otters and other zoo animals.

After data from the BC Center for Disease Control confirmed last month that the virus could mutate in mink, reduce vaccine efficacy and spread to people, BC phased out mink farming. I decided to abolish it.

In July 2021, mink on three mink farms and workers on two mink farms tested positive for the virus, raising concerns about the transmission of the virus to humans and wildlife.

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