One Health: White Tailed Deer
These data, and all the information contained therein, have been collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business Services’ (MRPBS) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and/or Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS), or by its cooperators on APHIS’ and/or AMS’ behalf, for restricted government purposes only and is the sole property of MRPBS, APHIS or AMS. Data may be disseminated on a need-to-know basis only and must be used for their intended government purpose(s). All information contained within these data are subject to required Federal safeguards and shall only be shared and/or used consistent with the Trade Secrets Act [18 U.S.C. 1905], the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended [5 U.S.C. 552a], the Freedom of Information Act [5 U.S.C. 552], the confidentiality provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985 [7 U.S.C. 2276], Section 1619 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 [7 U.S.C. 8791], and other applicable Federal laws and implementing regulations, as well as with the confidentiality or non-disclosure provisions of any other agreement entered into between MRPBS, APHIS or AMS and a cooperator.
Between November 2021 and April 2022, APHIS, in collaboration with State and Tribal wildlife agencies, conducted surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Thousands of respiratory and blood samples were collected from free-ranging white-tailed deer across 27 States.
Use the map below to learn how SARS-CoV-2 has impacted white-tailed deer by State.
SARS-CoV-2 in White-tailed Deer
In collaboration with its partners, APHIS is using a targeted multi-year surveillance approach to monitor and study wild cervid populations across the country. Conducting surveillance and research studies is helping APHIS to understand if cervids are acting as host or “reservoir species,” meaning if the virus survives in animals, which allows it to potentially mutate into new variants. APHIS aims to better understand the potential impacts of SARS-CoV-2 at the wildlife and human interface.
While experts are still learning about SARS-CoV-2 in animals, there is currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus to humans. However, since wildlife can carry multiple zoonotic diseases, even without looking sick, it is always important to enjoy wildlife from a distance. For more information, please contact: APHISpress@usda.gov.
This data, and all the information contained therein, have been collected by APHIS or its cooperators on APHIS’ behalf for restricted government purposes only and is the sole property of APHIS. See full disclaimer.
Related Information
- APHIS Researches SARS-CoV-2 in White-tailed Deer (video)
- Frequently Asked Questions: SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance in Free-Ranging Deer and Other Cervids
- Frequently Asked Questions: SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance in Free-Ranging Deer and Other Cervids (Spanish)
- Frequently Asked Questions: SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance in Free-Ranging Deer and Other Cervids (Hmong)
- Summary of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Detected in White-tailed Deer from October 2021 to October 2022 (chart)
- White-tailed Deer Surveillance Efforts Across the United States by Sampling Week, October 2021 to October 2022 (chart)
Other White-tailed Deer Studies
Information from the map above provides reference to these studies.
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