COVID-19 Detected in Wild Deer in Quebec

Environment and Climate Change Canada today through a press release announced the first detections of COVID-19 in three free-ranging white-tailed deer in the country.

Credit: Andrew Coop /Unsplash

National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (CFIA) on November 29th confirmed the presence of coronavirus in samples collected through a big-game registration station in southern Quebec.

These deer were sampled between November 6 to 8, 2021, in the Estrie region of Quebec. The animals showed no evidence of clinical signs of disease and were all apparently healthy.

The agency says information on the impacts and spread of the virus in wild deer populations is currently limited. Similar cases have been reported in the U.S and there has been no known transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from deer to humans at this time.

There’s currently limited information on whether animals can spread the virus.

Canada has notified the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).