One-third of Iowa deer test positive for SARS-CoV-2

With COVID-19 caseloads on the decline and vaccines rolling out around the world, nations have begun preparations for the next phase of the pandemic — learning to live with the virus.

However, we may not be fully in the clear, scientists say after a study found the first evidence of animals transmitting the virus in the wild, with troubling implications for the spread of the disease and emergence of new variants.

Released on November 6, the preprint study found that one-third of the white tail deer population in Iowa over the past nine months has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 —  the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans — indicating that not only can deer catch the virus from humans but can also transmit it within their population in overwhelming numbers.