Michigan Deer Test Positive For COVID-19 Antibodies

MICHIGAN — Not even deer in Michigan are safe from the coronavirus apparently. According to a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, deer throughout the Midwest are testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies — with the largest percentage in Michigan.

Between Jan. 2020 and March 2021, researchers collected 481 serum samples from free-ranging white-tailed deer in Illinois, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania. The final results varied by state, but it detected evidence of the virus in 33% of those samples.

In Michigan, 67 percent of 113 samples contained SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

In Pennsylvania, 31 percent of 199 samples tested positive for the antibodies, 19 percent of 68 samples in New York tested positive for them and 7 percent of 101 samples in Illinois contained them, according to the study.

Despite the high number of COVID-19 antibodies, no deer appeared to be ill, the agency said.

"The risk of animals spreading SARS-CoV-2 to people is considered low," the USDA told Patch in an emailed statement.

Approximately 30 million white-tailed deer call the United States home. Because they often come into close contact with people and are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, USDA researchers said the study was prudent.

"Studying the susceptibility of certain mammals, such as deer, to the SARS-CoV-2 virus helps to identify species that may serve as reservoirs or hosts for the virus," researchers said in the study. "It also helps us understand the origin of the virus and predict its impacts on wildlife and the risks of cross-species transmission."

Researchers said they don't know how deer are becoming infected with COVID-19. It's possible they've been exposed through people, the environment, other deer or another animal species, they said.

For now, researchers said there is no evidence that animals, including deer, are playing a significant role in the spread of the virus to people and, therefore, the risk is minimal.

To read more about the study, click here.