Deer in the US found infected with Covid-19

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Alfie Kwa| September 01, 2021, 09:56 AM

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Humans aren't the only ones who can contract the Covid-19 virus.

Deer are joining the list of animals including lions, dogs, cats, and minks who have been found to be infected.

Wild white-tailed deer first deer to be detected with Covid-19

According to Reuters, infections of SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes Covid-19, were found in the wild white-tailed deer in the state of Ohio, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said, confirming the first case in deers.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of the deer showing symptoms of the infection.

The USDA reported that white-tailed deer in some American states-- Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York-- have contracted the Covid-19 virus, said breezy scroll.

How did it get infected?

There is an abundance of white-tailed deer in North America, said Nature.

Laboratory experiments showed that the deer can become infected and transmit the virus to others.

Since deer live in small herds in the wild, the virus could spread naturally from an infected animal to another.

It is, however, uncertain how the animals were exposed to the virus, USDA spokeswoman Lyndsay Cole told Reuters.

She added that it could have spread through contact with people or exposure to the environment, other deer, or other animal species.

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Top image via Getty Images.