Study on SARS-CoV-2 in White-Tailed Deer

Started by Mr. E. Monkey, August 11, 2021, 09:52:23 AM

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Mr. E. Monkey

I thought this was interesting/potentially concerning enough that it warranted its own thread...


Questions and Answers: Results of Study on SARS-CoV-2 in White-Tailed Deer


QuoteThe U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently completed a study that analyzed serum samples from free-ranging white-tailed deer for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Results of the study indicate that certain white-tailed deer populations in Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania were exposed to SARS-CoV-2.


After I got all the WTFs out of my system, and re-read their statement, I got a few takeaways that I thought were fairly noteworthy:

       
  • "Although the results indicate that certain white-tailed deer populations in these States were exposed to SARS-CoV-2, they should not be extrapolated to represent the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the deer populations as a whole."  I don't think they have enough information yet to say, one way or the other.
  • They don't know how the deer were exposed, yet despite that, do not believe that deer, or other animals, are likely to spread it to humans--which is a little odd, as I thought that was how they said it spread to humans in the first place.
  • They don't know how the virus effects these animals, but they have not identified any signs of illness, only that the deer had carried the virus and built up antibodies to it.
What still leaves me scratching my head is this:  "There is no evidence that people can get COVID-19 by preparing or eating meat from an animal infected with SARS-CoV-2," which is echoed by the CDC, yet the CDC also notes that "Some coronaviruses that infect animals can be spread to people and then spread between people, but this is rare. This is what happened with SARS-CoV-2, which likely originated in bats.
[/size]
[/size]It's very unlikely to spread from animals to humans, except that's exactly what it did.  And it spreads from animals to humans, but not back.  :smiley_chinrub:




Are they trying to get me to go buy tin foil or something?  :panic: I don't think this is anything to panic over, but it felt like it might be some information worth sharing, and seeing what y'all think about it.
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boskone

My guess: Americans won't eat enough infected meat to be a significant vector, nor will we spend enough time in contact with deer to pass it normally.

And the virus may be denatured by cooking, so consumption wouldn't be a vector?

I'd also have to check the study to see where the deer are; semi-domesticated animals at a park, or a "truly wild" population.

Mr. E. Monkey

Quote from: boskone on August 11, 2021, 10:00:25 AM
My guess: Americans won't eat enough infected meat to be a significant vector, nor will we spend enough time in contact with deer to pass it normally.

And the virus may be denatured by cooking, so consumption wouldn't be a vector?

I'd also have to check the study to see where the deer are; semi-domesticated animals at a park, or a "truly wild" population.


There's a little more information on the study here:  USDA APHIS | Surveillance Data Shows White-Tailed Deer Exposed to SARS-CoV-2
QuoteThe U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently completed a study that analyzed serum samples from free-ranging white-tailed deer for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Results of the study indicate that certain white-tailed deer populations in Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania were exposed to SARS-CoV-2.


and


QuoteIt is important to note that this surveillance was designed to determine exposure of deer to SARS-CoV-2 in their natural environment.


Not much more information, but it's something.
Quote from: SMoAF'Tis better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness.
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Mr. E. Monkey

Quote from: boskone on August 11, 2021, 10:00:25 AM
My guess: Americans won't eat enough infected meat to be a significant vector, nor will we spend enough time in contact with deer to pass it normally.

I would expect that you'd be right; my biggest concern is more that if the virus spreads from deer to deer, is the deer population acting as an incubator for another new variant that is going to cause problems?

QuoteAnd the virus may be denatured by cooking, so consumption wouldn't be a vector?
Most likely.  Hopefully.  I think it would be much more likely that if it were to spread from deer to humans, it would be while handling freshly killed deer. 
Quote from: SMoAF'Tis better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness.
Quote from: BeowolfDisasters are terrifying, but people are stupid.
Quote from: wee drop o' bushTHE EVIL MONKEY HAS WON THE INTERNETS!  :lol:

RoneKiln

My knee jerk reaction was that the tests had to be picking up on different coronaviruses already common in deer. But it looks like they made a very good faith effort to account for that.

I'm still stuck in "WTF."

I thought it mostly spread via air transmission indoors where the viral load could build up. I thought the likelihood of transmission outdoors was extremely low. So wild deer catching it seems extremely unlikely.

I'm just going to go back to watching cartoons.
"Seriously the most dangerous thing you are likely to do is to put salt on a Big Mac right before you eat it and to climb into your car."
--Raptor

Mr. E. Monkey

Quote from: RoneKiln on August 12, 2021, 11:40:31 PM
I'm still stuck in "WTF."
I'm still having a hard time wrapping my brain around it, too.   :smiley_chinrub:
Quote from: SMoAF'Tis better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness.
Quote from: BeowolfDisasters are terrifying, but people are stupid.
Quote from: wee drop o' bushTHE EVIL MONKEY HAS WON THE INTERNETS!  :lol:

EBuff75

Quote from: Mr. E. Monkey on August 13, 2021, 08:09:51 AM
Quote from: RoneKiln on August 12, 2021, 11:40:31 PM
I'm still stuck in "WTF."
I'm still having a hard time wrapping my brain around it, too.   :smiley_chinrub:
I wonder if it's something as simple as a mosquito feeding on an infected person and then on the deer.  After all, ticks, fleas, and mosquitos are a frequent vector for passing along diseases (malaria, Lyme, zika, plague, etc.).
Information - it's all a battle for information. You have to know what's happening if you're going to do anything about it. - Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

flybynight

No it was proven insects do not pass on this pathogen.
"Hey idiot, you should feel your pulse, not see it."  Echo 83

Mr. E. Monkey

Quote from: flybynight on August 13, 2021, 09:44:13 AM
No it was proven insects do not pass on this pathogen.
Good.  We don't need that.  :eek1:
Quote from: SMoAF'Tis better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness.
Quote from: BeowolfDisasters are terrifying, but people are stupid.
Quote from: wee drop o' bushTHE EVIL MONKEY HAS WON THE INTERNETS!  :lol:

PistolPete

I saw this last week and the real question I have is "what is the infection vector?".  If we look at something like chronic wasting disease, something that is highly transmissible in deer, it takes many years to get to the level of infection we are seeing here.  In fact, most of the initial spread comes from deer that escape deer farms- deer in the wild don't socialize in large groups or mingle between groups to spread disease. 

It's highly unlikely that that many deer were within 5 feet of an infected person as well.  So if they didn't get it from each other and didn't get it from humans then we have to explore other possibilities.  Is the airborne transmission distance much higher?  Is it transmissible via water?  Does the virus just pretty much exist everywhere?  To me that's the really interesting question.

In Missouri chronic wasting disease has been around for 20 years and last I saw only affects less than 1% of the herd, as a reference.
All you have to do is stab someone once, just a little bit, to forever change the dynamic of the relationship.

Zed hunter


flybynight

Quote from: Zed hunter on September 18, 2021, 12:39:28 PM
Gorillas in a zoo also.

Hmm. If this is true. Then if there actually are bigfoot. They  can't be doing that well.
"Hey idiot, you should feel your pulse, not see it."  Echo 83

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