Humans have infected a wide range of animals with SARS-CoV-2 1-5 , but the establishment of a new natural animal reservoir has not been observed. Here we document that free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are highly susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2, are exposed to multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants from humans and are capable of sustaining transmission in nature. Using real-time PCR with reverse transcription, we detected SARS-CoV-2 in more than one-third (129 out of 360, 35.8%) of nasal swabs obtained from O. virginianus in northeast Ohio in the USA during January to March 2021. Deer in six locations were infected with three SARS-CoV-2 lineages (B. 1.2, B.1.582 and B.1.596). The B.1.2 viruses, dominant in humans in Ohio at the time, infected deer in four locations. We detected probable deer-to-deer transmission of B.1.2, B.1.582 and B.1.596 viruses, enabling the virus to acquire amino acid substitutions in the spike protein (including the receptor-binding domain) and ORF1 that are observed infrequently in humans. No spillback to humans was observed, but these findings demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 viruses have been transmitted in wildlife in the USA, potentially opening new pathways for evolution. There is an urgent need to establish comprehensive 'One Health' programmes to monitor the environment, deer and other wildlife hosts globally.As of 9 November 2021, SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has caused more than 5 million deaths globally 6 . The zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2 are not fully resolved 7 , exposing large gaps in our knowledge of susceptible host species and potential new reservoirs. Natural infections of SARS-CoV-2 linked to human exposure have been reported in domestic animals such as cats, dogs and ferrets, and in wildlife under human care, including several species of big cats, Asian small-clawed otters, western lowland gorillas and mink 1 . Detection of SARS-CoV-2 by PCR in free-ranging wildlife has been limited to small numbers of mink in Spain and in Utah in the USA, which were thought to have escaped from nearby farms 8,9 . An in silico study modelling SARS-CoV-2 binding sites on the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor across host species predicted that cetaceans, rodents, primates and several species of deer are at high risk of infection 10 . Experimental infections have identified additional animal species susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, including hamsters, North American raccoons, striped skunks, white-tailed deer, raccoon dogs, fruit bats, deer mice, domestic European rabbits, bushy-tailed woodrats, tree shrews and multiple non-human primate species [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] . Moreover, several species are capable of intraspecies SARS-CoV-2 transmission [13][14][15]17,[21][22][23] , including cats, ferrets, fruit bats, hamsters, raccoon dogs, deer mice and white-tailed deer. Vertical transmission has also been documented in experimentally infected white-tailed deer 23 . In July 2021, antibodies for SARS-CoV...

Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (Streptococcus zooepidemicus), a beta-haemolytic and Gram-positive bacterium, is most frequently isolated as an opportunistic pathogen of horses in the upper respiratory and lower genital tracts. It can also cause infections in a wide range of other animal species, including cats, ruminants, pigs, monkeys, dogs and guinea pigs (

Human-to-animal spillover of SARS-CoV-2 virus has occurred in a wide range of animals, but thus far, the establishment of a new natural animal reservoir has not been detected. Here, we detected SARS-CoV-2 virus using rRT-PCR in 129 out of 360 (35.8%) free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from northeast Ohio (USA) sampled between January-March 2021. Deer in 6 locations were infected with at least 3 lineages of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.2, B.1.596, B.1.582). The B.1.2 viruses, dominant in Ohio at the time, spilled over multiple times into deer populations in different locations. Deer-to-deer transmission may have occurred in three locations. The establishment of a natural reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer could facilitate divergent evolutionary trajectories and future spillback to humans, further complicating long-term COVID-19 control strategies.One-Sentence SummaryA significant proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging US white-tailed deer reveals a potential new reservoir.

The recent incursion of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) virus into North America and subsequent dissemination of virus across the continent, has had significant adverse impacts on domestic poultry, and has led to widespread mortality in many wild bird species. Here we report the recent spillover of H5N1 into marine mammals in the northeastern United States, with associated mortality on a regional scale. This spillover is coincident with a second wave of H5N1 in sympatric wild birds also experiencing regional mortality events. Viral sequences derived from both seal and avian hosts reveal distinct viral genetic differences between the two waves of infection. Spillover into seals was closely related to virus from the second wave, and one of eight seal-derived sequences had the mammalian adaptation PB2 E627K.

Reptiles are one of the fastest growing sectors in the United States pet industry. Reptile‐associated salmonellosis (RAS) continues to be an important public health problem, especially among children. We investigated an outbreak of human Salmonella infections resulting from serotypes Cotham and Kisarawe, predominately occurring among children. An outbreak of illnesses was identified in persons with exposure to pet bearded dragon lizards. Human and animal health officials, in cooperation with the pet industry, conducted epidemiologic, traceback and laboratory investigations. Onsite sampling was conducted at two US breeding facilities, one foreign breeding facility, and a large pet retail chain. A total of 166 patients in 36 states were identified with illness onset dates from 02/2012–06/2014. The median patient age was 3 years (range, <1–79 years), 57% were aged ≤5 years, and 37% were aged ≤1 year. Forty‐four patients (37%) were hospitalized, predominantly children. Sampling at breeding facilities and a national pet store chain resulted in isolation of outbreak serotypes at each facility; isolation proportions ranged from 2%–24% of samples collected at each facility.Epidemiologic, microbiologic and traceback evidence linked an outbreak of uncommon Salmonella serotypes to contact with pet bearded dragons. The high proportion of infants involved in this outbreak highlights the need to educate owners about the risk of RAS in children and the potential for household contamination by pet reptiles or their habitats. Strategies should be developed to improve breeding practices, biosecurity and monitoring protocols to reduce Salmonella in the pet reptile trade.

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Broad-scale data show SARS-CoV-2 occurrence in white-tailed deer throughout much of their range in the conterminous United States and reinforce findings of substantial SARS-CoV-2 infection and exposure. Results shed light on both current infections and prior exposure, with prevalence decreasing over time and seroprevalence increasing.

H ighly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses are of concern because of their pandemic potential, socioeconomic impact during agricultural outbreaks, and risks to wildlife conservation. Since October 2020, HPAI A(H5N1) virus, belonging to the goose/Guangdong H5 2.3.4.4b clade, has been responsible for >70 million poultry deaths and >100 discrete infections in many wild mesocarnivore species (1). As of January 2023, H5N1 infections in mammals have been primarily attributed to consuming infected prey, without evidence of further transmission among mammals.We report an HPAI A(H5N1) virus outbreak among New England harbor and gray seals that was concurrent with a wave of avian infections in the region, resulting in a seal unusual mortality event (UME); evidence of mammal adaptation existed in a small subset of seals. Harbor (Phoca vitulina) and gray (Halichoerus grypus) seals in the North Atlantic are known to be affected by avian influenza A virus and have experienced previous outbreaks involving seal-to-seal transmission (2-7). Those seal species represent a pathway for adaptation of avian influenza A virus to mammal hosts that is a recurring event in nature and has implications for human health. The StudyThe first detections of HPAI clade 2.3.4.4b viruses in North America were in wild and domestic birds in November 2021 in Canada and late December 2021 in the United . Starting on January 20, 2022, avian oropharyngeal or cloacal samples were collected from wild birds by personnel in 4 wildlife clinics in Massachusetts. Additional opportunistic samples were collected in Maine and Massachusetts in response to suspicious avian deaths in seabird breeding colonies. We screened samples from 1,079