Location: Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research
Project Number: 5030-32000-232-041-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: May 18, 2023
End Date: Sep 30, 2025
Objective:
1. Determine susceptibility of reindeer to infection with SARS-CoV-2.
2. Determine susceptibility of American bison to infection with SARS-CoV-2.
3. Evaluate viral adaption through serial passage in deer.
Approach:
Objectives 1 and 2: Experimentally infect animals with relevant variant, monitor for clinical signs including fevers, periodically collect nasal, oral and rectal swabs to evaluate viral shedding (days 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21). Euthanize and examine 2 animals on day 3 to evaluate viral tissue distribution. Euthanize and examine remaining animals on day 21.
Objective 3: Experimentally infected 2 white-tailed deer with relevant variant. On day 2 introduce 2 sentinel deer for 48 hours. Remove original animals and introduce 2 new sentinels. Repeat 5 times. Nasal, oral and rectal swabs will be collected on entry and exit to evaluate virus shedding. Isolate virus at each introduction and examine changes in virus binding domain.
