Discovery of Omicron in New York deer raises concern over possible new coronavirus variants
- This is the first time the strain has been detected in a wild animal, though there is no evidence that they are transmitting the virus to humans
- Researchers fear that the 30 million white-tailed deer in the US could become hosts to new Covid-19 strains
The discovery of the Omicron variant in white-tailed deer in New York has raised concerns that the species, numbering 30 million in the United States, could become hosts of a new coronavirus strain, a lead researcher said on Tuesday.
Blood and some nasal swab samples from 131 deer captured on New York’s Staten Island revealed that nearly 15 per cent had virus antibodies.
The finding suggested that the animals had previous coronavirus infections and were vulnerable to repeated reinfections with new variants, researchers led by Pennsylvania State University scientists said.
“Circulation of the virus in an animal population always raises the possibility of getting back to humans, but more importantly it provides more opportunities for the virus to evolve into novel variants,” said Suresh Kuchipudi, a Penn State veterinary microbiologist.
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“When the virus completely mutates, then it can escape the protection of the current vaccine. So we’d have to change the vaccine again,” Kuchipudi said.