Virus found in four white-tailed deer, University of Saskatchewan says.
Deer in Ohio and other Canadian provinces have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, but these are the first detections among Saskatchewan deer.
The team investigating wildlife consists of members from the University of Saskatchewan, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment and the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative. New findings confirmed the detection of #SARSCoV2, the #Covid19 virus, in 1 free-ranging white-tailed deer outside of Saskatoon, #Saskatchewan. This is the second report of the virus in Canadian wildlife. pic.twitter.com/AX2gf69oMUOf the 227 white-tailed deer tested in Saskatchewan, these four animals make up two per cent, the university says.
These wild animals usually hang out in herds, meaning they can easily spread the virus among themselves, said Jenkins."For the most part, the deer largely seem to be asymptomatic," she said. "That is a concern because that makes them a really good reservoir [for the virus]." Since the beginning of the pandemic, the team considered which wild animals would be susceptible, explained Jenkins.
Animals don’t seem to play a large role in the current spread of COVID-19 and animal-to-human transmission is likely very uncommon, says the Government of Canada on its website.
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