'We don't want it circulating in the animal population;' Ont. deer test positive for COVID-19
For the first time in Ontario, COVID-19 has been discovered in wildlife.
In early January, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed five white-tailed deer in southwestern Ontario tested positive.
According to the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (NDMNRF), samples were collected through the ministry's Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance program.
“The deer showed no evidence of clinical signs of illness and appeared healthy,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry.
Scott Weese, chief of infection control at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph said, “We know it’s been found in Saskatchewan and Quebec, so it was just a matter of testing and time before we found it in Ontario.”
White-tailed deer are one of many animals in Canada and the U.S. that have contracted COVID-19, others include minks.
Though the chances of catching COVID-19 from an animal are low, Weese said with more transmission there's a greater chance new variants will form.
“What we don’t want is it circulating in the animal population. Because if it gets into deer and keeps spreading and spreading we can send it back, but then maybe we can get a different strain that is of relevance to us.”
It is not known how the recently discovered white-tailed deer in the province contracted the virus back in November, which is why Weese believes more research is needed.
For several months, Ontario’s Ministry of Health, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative have taken samples from animals to test for the virus.
“First we want to figure out - are we getting infections in animals and if so what types of infections are happening, is it just transient infections that animals are getting over or are they infections that are leading to disease,” said Brian Stevens, a wildlife pathologist with the cooperative.
Stevens says hundreds of animals have been tested through health agencies in Canada since the summer, but only a handful have come back positive.
In an email sent to CTV News London, a spokesperson for the NDMNRF said 213 deer samples were tested in 2021, while 936 samples were taken from raccoons, skunks, minks, white-tailed deer and other mammals in Ontario and Quebec in 2020 for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
To this date, COVID-19 was not found in any of the 2020 samples collected in Ontario.
“Research and monitoring is ongoing to determine if and how many wildlife species are contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” the statement said.
The NDMNRF is currently working with multiple government agencies to conduct COVID-19 surveillance of certain wildlife in Ontario and Quebec, according to the ministry.
Since wildlife isn’t often in close contact with people, Weese believes the risk could be low for humans, while hunters, on the other hand, are more at-risk.
According to Weese, deer do not present with symptoms when they are sick, which is why it can be difficult to know if they’ve contracted COVID-19.
“All we know right now is that we can infect deer,” Weese said. “Does it stay in the deer population and can that come back to us or can they infect other wildlife that might be of relevance to us? Those are the big unknowns.”
To halt the spread of COVID-19-symptomatic people are being advised by health agencies to avoid being in close contact with animals.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.