Highly transmissible Omicron Variant has been infected the White-tailed deer on Staten Island. This is the first time Omicron Variant infecting Wild animals. As per studies, there has been an evidence that white-tailed deer can be easily infected by the virus.
Some researchers have reported previously that the virus was widespread in deer in lowa in late 2020 and parts of Ohio in early 2021. The U.S Agricultural department has confirmed infections in deer in 13 states. The deer are getting infected with virus from humans and then spreading it to other deer.
But there is no proof that a human can get infected with the virus from animals. Widespread circulation of the virus in deer would give the virus more opportunity to mutate, potentially leads to new variants that could spill over into people or other animal species. A deer which infected with Omicron has a high level of antibodies to the virus, suggesting that it may have been infected previously.
Health experts say that Omicron infection in white-tailed deer is an unexpected thing. A deer population-control study claims that White Buffalo has been working with the city to capture local deer and sterilize some of the young males. The researchers are looking forward to conduct laboratory studies of the antibodies they detected in the Staten Island deer to determine which version of the virus each animal was infected by.