BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 17, 2021
A study of blood samples from 481 wild deer in four states, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan and Illinois, found 33 percent contained antibodies of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported recently. While the USDA said it is likely deer in other states have also been exposed to the virus, the discovery is not being actively investigated by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Local biologists are more concerned with a fatal illness found in deer and are advising hunters to follow safety recommendations when processing deer to limit exposure to any possible diseases. Of greater concern is protecting Maine deer against the arrival of Chronic Wasting Disease.