Alabama Beware: USDA Warns Of Deer Spreading Covid

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Evidence reveals that wildlife is a potential breeding ground for COVID-19.  Scientists believe it could continue to evolve, despite control efforts in humans. God bless Bambi!

The data was collected as part of the US Department of Agriculture's regular surveillance of whitetail deer, the US's most widely distributed deer species.

The US Department of Agriculture believes that because of the percentage of samples in this study, and the high numbers of whitetail deer throughout the US, it is likely that deer in many states have also been exposed to the virus.

Researchers told National Geographic that the deer outbreak could be thanks to humans, as multiple activities could bring deer into contact with people.

This is the first study to show that deer pass COVID-19 to each other in the wild. Scientists have previously found the virus in several animals, including cats and dogs, lions, tigers, and gorillas, all of which happened in captivity. Scientists worry that the wild animals could become a reservoir for the Covid virus, and potentially damage efforts to control the virus in humans.

The USDA said the risk of animals spreading the virus to people is considered low. The good news, there is no evidence that humans can be infected by eating contaminated meat. That is great news for all of us who enjoy venison.

Respiratory transmission between humans and animals remains a possibility, scientists say, but deer are a lot easier to avoid than people. For humans, the problem remains the spread of COVID-19 from other humans.