RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 High seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at one of three captive cervid facilities in Texas JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 2022.01.05.475172 DO 10.1101/2022.01.05.475172 A1 Christopher M. Roundy A1 Chase M. Nunez A1 Logan F. Thomas A1 Lisa D. Auckland A1 Wendy Tang A1 Jack J. Richison III A1 Breanna R. Green A1 Clayton D. Hilton A1 Michael J. Cherry A1 Alex Pauvolid-Correa A1 Gabriel L. Hamer A1 Walter E. Cook A1 Sarah A. Hamer YR 2022 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/01/09/2022.01.05.475172.abstract AB Free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginanus) across the United States are increasingly recognized as involved in SARS-CoV-2 transmission cycles. Through a cross-sectional study of 80 deer at three captive cervid facilities in central and southern Texas, we provide evidence of 34 of 36 (94.4%) white-tailed deer at a single captive cervid facility seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 by neutralization assay (PRNT90), with endpoint titers as high as 1280. In contrast, all tested white-tailed deer and axis deer (Axis axis) at two other captive cervid facilities were seronegative, and SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in respiratory swabs from deer at any of the three facilities. These data support transmission among captive deer that cannot be explained by human contact for each infected animal, as only a subset of the seropositive does had direct human contact. The facility seroprevalence was more than double of that reported from wild deer, suggesting that the confined environment may facilitate transmission. Further exploration of captive cervids and other managed animals for their role in the epizootiology of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for understanding impacts on animal health and the potential for spillback transmission to humans or other animal taxa.Importance As SARS-CoV-2 vaccine coverge of the human population increases and variants of concern continue to emerge, identification of the epidemiologic importance of animal virus reservoirs is critical. We found that nearly all (94.4%) of the captive white-tailed deer at a cervid facility in central Texas had neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2. This seroprevalence is over double than that which has been reported from free-ranging deer from other regions of the US. Horizontal transmission among deer may be facilitated in confinement. Tracking new infections among wild and confined deer is critical for understanding the importance of animal reservoirs for both veterinary and human health.