Serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in red and fallow deer in Great Britain.

O'Neill, J. V.; Long, E.; Tan, J.; George, C.; Olivier, J.; Huang, C. Q.; Stewart, H.; Cantoni, D.; Davis, C.; Waeber, K.; Bamford, C.; Thompson, C.; Temperton, N. J.; Heeney, J. L.; Carnell, G. W.

doi:10.1101/2025.10.17.682775

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.10.17.682775

Serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in red and fallow deer in Great Britain.

O'Neill, J. V.·Long, E.·Tan, J.·George, C.·Olivier, J.·Huang, C. Q.·Stewart, H.·Cantoni, D.·Davis, C.·Waeber, K.·Bamford, C.·Thompson, C.·Temperton, N. J.·Heeney, J. L.·Carnell, G. W.

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Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 is the viral agent of COVID-19 disease in humans and has been shown to infect a wide range of mammals, including white-tailed deer in North America and fallow deer in the Republic of Ireland. There are six species of deer in the UK which inhabit both urban and rural areas, providing a broad interface for human-deer interaction. Little is known if British deer species act as a reservoir for zoonotic spread of consequence to human health. Here, we report a high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies in British deer, adding native red deer to the list of susceptible species. 62% of fallow and 25% of red deer sampled between 2024 and 2025 from one British deer park were positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection by serology. Data suggest that deer may function as permissive, reservoir-capable hosts and highlight the risks of anthroponosis and zoonosis from unregulated human-deer contact. While there is currently no evidence to suggest that these viruses are persisting within deer populations in Great Britain, the animal origins of SARS-CoV-2 highlight the importance of appropriate and limited interactions with wildlife, to minimise transmission risks and safeguard both animal and human health.

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O'Neill, J. V., Long, E., Tan, J., George, C., Olivier, J., Huang, C. Q., Stewart, H., Cantoni, D., Davis, C., Waeber, K., Bamford, C., Thompson, C., Temperton, N. J., Heeney, J. L., Carnell, G. W.. 2025-10-17. Serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in red and fallow deer in Great Britain.. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.17.682775

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