Canada confirmed its first case of Covid in wildlife — in three white-tailed deer, media outlets reported on Thursday.
The National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease revealed the samples were collected in early November from free-ranging animals in the Estrie region of Quebec along the border with the United States.
“Similar to findings in the United States, the deer showed no evidence of clinical signs of disease, and were all apparently healthy,” the agency said in a statement. It added that the World Organization for Animal Health was notified on the matter.
Accordingly, authorities urged mask-wearing around wild deer while they “continue to monitor and assess the potential implications of the virus on Canadian wildlife.”
Last month, two hyenas at the Denver Zoo tested positive for the coronavirus. According to officials, they are believed to be “the first hyenas confirmed with COVID-19 worldwide.”
Zoo officials said in a tweet that the hyenas were experiencing “extremely mild symptoms,” including “slight lethargy, some nasal discharge and occasional coughs.”
Notably, the first case of COVID-19 was detected at an animal market in Wuhan, China, where wild and domestic animals were sold.
