The discovery of the Omicron variant in white-tailed deer in New York has raised concerns that the species, numbering 30 million in the United States, could become hosts of a new coronavirus strain, a lead researcher said on Tuesday.
Blood and some nasal swab samples from 131 deer captured on New York's Staten Island revealed that nearly 15% had virus antibodies. The finding suggested that the animals had previous coronavirus infections and were vulnerable to repeated reinfections with new variants, researchers led by Pennsylvania State University scientists said.
The discovery - the first time Omicron was detected in a wild animal - comes as a surge in COVID-19 infections fueled by the variant are abating among the U.S. human population. In August, the U.S. government said it found the world's first cases of COVID-19 in wild deer in Ohio, expanding the list of animals known to have tested positive for the disease.
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