Deer may be reservoir for SARS-Cov-2 variants, study suggestsFebruary 6, 2023The evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from humans to white-tailed deer, and its transmission ability in the deer population is the driving force behind the study conducted by the Cornell Veterinary Medicine (CVM). The study, "White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) May Serve as a Wildlife Reservoir for Nearly Extinct SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern," published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, looks into the role of the white-tailed deer in the epidemiology and ecology of the virus. The study focused on the deer population in New York. "One of the most striking findings of this study was the detection of co-circulation of three variants of concern–alpha, gamma and delta–in this wild animal population," says Diego Diel, DVM, MS, PhD, associate professor of population medicine and diagnostic sciences and director of the Virology Laboratory at the Cornell University CVM Animal Health Diagnostic Center. While the exact cause remains unknown, research indicates that over the course of the pandemic, deer have become infected with SARS-CoV-2 through contact with humans, possibly from hunting, wildlife rehabilitations, feeding of wild animals or through wastewater or water sources. This study was made possible …
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COVID testing for pets supports One Health initiativeAugust 23, 2022Learning more about COVID from a One Health perspective and better understanding its impact on human, animal, and environmental relationships is the driving force behind a newly funded project in California.
Veterinary research vital in protecting zoo animals from SARS-CoV-2February 11, 2022Veterinary researchers from Kansas State University (K-State) are working to protect zoo animals from the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Veterinary virologists get $3.7M grant for COVID researchAugust 30, 2021A five-year, $3.7-million grant supporting the research of a new COVID treatment has been issued to veterinary virologists at Kansas State University (K-State).
Cats can give other cats COVID quite easilyNovember 18, 2020Feline-to-feline transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is possible, even if an animal is not showing any symptoms of the virus.
N.C. pug tests positive for COVID-19April 29, 2020A pug living in North Carolina has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, becoming the first known dog in North America to be diagnosed with the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans.
N.Y. cats test positive for COVID-19April 22, 2020Two domestic cats in New York State have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL).
Bronx Zoo tiger tests positive for COVID-19April 6, 2020The presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been confirmed in a tiger at New York’s Bronx Zoo.
Thousands of specimens show no evidence of COVID-19 in petsMarch 25, 2020Aligning with statements from multiple animal and human healthcare groups, IDEXX Laboratories says there is no evidence companion animals have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans.
Calm clients' COVID-19 concerns, WSAVA saysMarch 20, 2020Veterinarians should reassure their clients there is no evidence COVID-19 can be contracted from pets, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) says.
