Study Suggests Covid-19 Spreads Easily in Deer

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ERIE (Erie News Now) – A new Penn State study suggests Covid-19 may become widespread among deer populations.

And it suggests that rates of transmission have increased as the pandemic drags on.

The news comes with deer season starting in just a few weeks.

Researchers studied nearly 300 deer in Iowa, collecting samples from the start of the pandemic until early this year.

Overall, they found that a third of the deer carried the virus that leads to Covid-19.

But over the last month and a half, 80 percent of the deer had the virus, showing it spread among the population.

Still, they say local hunters don’t need to worry too much.

Experts recommend typical safety procedures, like wearing gloves and thoroughly cooking meat. Local deer processors say to always be cautious when working with wild game.