New variant found in deer shows signs of possible transmission to humans

For the study, researchers collected 300 samples in November and December 2021 from white-tailed deer in Canada and discovered that 17 of the deer in southwestern Ontario tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, according to the study. The Canada study was posted to the database bioRxiv and has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

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Upon further research, they found a person who was infected with a genetically similar strain of SARS-CoV-2. The person lived in the same area and had close contact with the deer population before testing positive, according to the study. Researchers theorized it was at least possible the deer transmitted the virus to the human.

However, scientists warned the study only states it’s possible and doesn’t confirm the deer infected the human.

“We don’t have enough information yet to confirm that transmission back to humans,” said Roderick Gagne, a wildlife disease ecologist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine told The New York Times.

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