Screening of wild roe deer populations in Sweden 2016-2022 for SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic with significant human impact and zoonotic concerns. In North America, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) show high prevalence of infection and viral mutations, raising concerns about novel variants and reverse zoonosis. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) stated that cervids could become silent reservoirs, urging global surveillance. In Europe, studies have not found significant spill-over into wild deer populations, with negative results in red, roe, fallow, and other deer species across Poland, Germany, Austria, and the UK. However, seropositivity was recently detected in urban fallow deer in Ireland. To assess SARS-CoV-2 presence in Swedish roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), retropharyngeal lymph nodes from 110 individuals (2016-2022) were tested for viral nucleic acid. All samples were negative, suggesting limited or no spill-over in Sweden. These findings align with broader European data but contrast with North American trends, highlighting the importance of continued wildlife monitoring.

Keywords

Reverse zoonosis; Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus); SARS-CoV-2; Wildlife health surveillance; Zoonosis; Cross-species transmission risk

Published in

One Health
2026, volume: 22, article number: 101370
Publisher: ELSEVIER

SLU Authors

• Berglund, Andrea

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Swedish Board of Agriculture

• Neimane, Aleksija

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • National Veterinary Institute (SVA)

UKÄ Subject classification

Pathobiology
Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2026.101370

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/146464