OmniVira

Serological Evidence That SARS-CoV-2 Has Not Emerged in Deer in Germany or Austria during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Andres Moreira-Soto1 Christian Walzer2,3 Gábor Á Czirják4 Martin H Richter5 Stephen F Marino5 Annika Posautz3 Pau De Yebra Rodo4 Gayle K McEwen4 Jan Felix Drexler1 Alex D Greenwood4,6
Affiliations 6 institutions
  1. Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
  2. Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460, USA.
  3. Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology (FIWI), A-1160 Vienna, Austria.
  4. Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, 10315 Berlin, Germany.
  5. Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR), 10589 Berlin, Germany.
  6. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
PMID35456800 DOI10.3390/microorganisms10040748 Year2022 Journal Microorganisms Languageeng Statusepublish

Abstract

Spillover of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to North American white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has been documented. However, it is unclear if this is a phenomenon specific to North American deer or is a broader problem. We evaluated pre and pandemic exposure of German and Austrian deer species using a SARS-CoV-2 pseudoneutralization assay. In stark contrast to North American white-tailed deer, we found no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure.

Supporting text Virus Host Location
COVID-19 467 fallow deer 2 hunting 1 red deer 2 roe deer 2 SARS-CoV-2 550

Evidence records

1 total
Zoonotic Surveillance
1 records · 1 evidence types
Evidence type Serological Evidence
1 records
OVE5884 Serological Evidence
Key finding

Serological testing found no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in German and Austrian deer species.

Virus
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Host
deer Cervidae Natural host
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

We evaluated pre and pandemic exposure of German and Austrian deer species using a SARS-CoV-2 pseudoneutralization assay. In stark contrast to North American white-tailed deer, we found no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure.

Method
pseudoneutralization assay
Sample type
serum