Discovery of Omicron in New York deer raises concern over possible new variants
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 US human population
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.
"Circulation of the virus in an animal population always raises the possibility of getting back to humans, but more importantly it provides more opportunities for the virus to evolve into novel variants," said Suresh Kuchipudi, a Penn State veterinary microbiologist.
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"When the virus completely mutates, then it can escape the protection of the current vaccine. So we'd have to change the vaccine again," Kuchipudi 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 US human population.
