Monday, August 28, 2023 Ohio State Scientists Evaluate Role of Deer in SARS-CoV-2 Transmission SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, evolves three times faster in white-tailed deer than in people, making NIAID-funded scientists at The Ohio State University and colleagues ask whether deer are an important reservoir for emerging virus variants – similar to how influenza virus evolves and spreads from pigs. The project, published in Nature Communications, examined infection rate, persistence, spread and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in deer throughout Ohio. Scientists collected more than 1,500 deer nasal samples and, from antibody results, estimated that 23.5 percent of the animals had been infected with SARS-CoV-2. They also identified more than 30 instances over four months where the virus had spread from people to deer, then spent another eight months documenting the virus further spreading among deer. Their study found no concerning evolutionary changes but did draw the attention of NIAID colleagues who are expanding the study by assessing how different SARS-CoV-2 variants respond in deer cells and whether new variants are emerging.   National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases  |  National Institutes of Health Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact Subscriber Help. This service is provided to you at no charge by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).                             This email was sent to myhcistech.healthnews360@blogger.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 5601 Fishers Lane · Bethesda, MD 20892 · 1-866-284-4107