Whitetail Deer Surveillance on Tribal Lands Listening Session

In 2021, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) monitoring found that approximately 40% of white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus) serum samples collected in 4 states (Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York) contained SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Since this APHIS finding, other studies identified SARS-CoV-2 in deer in other states, including Oklahoma, West Virginia, Ohio, and others. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans. The presence of antibodies in WTD means the deer were previously infected with this virus. Knowing this, along with findings that WTD can be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and transmit the virus to other deer, more research would help understand how this might affect human and animal health. APHIS and its partners will conduct a phased, multi-year study to understand the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 in WTD to human and animal health.

All Tribal Nations are invited to a Webinar, Whitetail Deer Surveillance on Tribal Lands, Thursday, December 16, 2021, at 1:00 PM Eastern, hosted by Wildlife Services (WS) to provide additional information on this project. They look forward to hearing your comments, concerns, and potential ideas for conducting SARS-CoV-2 sampling in WTD on Tribal Lands. Below is the registration link and webinar link as well.

Registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCB98SR

Web Join URL: https://coreshield.zoomgov.com/wc/join/1616718956?pwd=YU9HMDlicDBKZlZ5amw3MlRXbnVJUT09