Viral spillback | Nature Reviews Microbiology

Viral wildlife reservoirs can contribute to the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants and potentially the emergence of variants of concern. Spillback of such new variants to the human population

has the potential to affect vaccine efficacy or disease severity. Evidence suggests the continual transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to white-tailed deer, but so far, there was no

evidence of transmission from deer to humans. Now, Pickering, Mubareka, Bowman and colleagues report the identification of a highly divergent lineage of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer

(B.1.641) in an observational surveillance study in Ontario, Canada, during November and December 2021. This lineage is one of the most divergent lineages identified so far, and several of

the mutations in the B.1.641 genomes have not been described previously, or are rare and uncharacterized. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that B.1.641 shares a common ancestor with mink- and

human-derived viral sequences from a nearby area. The authors speculate that the viral ancestor of B.1.641 stems from an unknown animal or a human reservoir. Subsequently, there was either a

spillback transmission from deer to human or the emergence of a virus that can infect both human and deer. Continued surveillance is critical to identify new intermediate or reservoir hosts

that drive viral evolution and transmission. REFERENCES ORIGINAL ARTICLE * Pickering, B. et al. Divergent SARS-CoV-2 variant emerges in white-tailed deer with deer-to-human transmission.

_Nat. Microbiol._ https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-022-01268-9 (2022) Article  Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Nature Reviews Microbiology

http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/ Andrea Du Toit Authors * Andrea Du Toit View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR

Correspondence to Andrea Du Toit. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Du Toit, A. Viral spillback. _Nat Rev Microbiol_ 21, 2 (2023).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-022-00829-3 Download citation * Published: 18 November 2022 * Issue Date: January 2023 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-022-00829-3 SHARE THIS ARTICLE

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