A first for New Brunswick since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The virus has been detected in a free-ranging white-tailed deer in southern New Brunswick.
Environment Canada said the sample was taken in the Saint John region in late January.
The agency said COVID remains largely a disease of human concern and typically spreads from human to human.
“Adhering to public health advice and getting fully vaccinated are key ways to protect against the virus,” it said in a tweet.
While this is a first for New Brunswick, COVID has been detected in 40 white-tailed deer across the country, according to the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System.
The virus has also been found in 12 cats, one dog, and at three mink farms.
In total, there have been 56 confirmed cases in animals in New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.
New findings confirmed the detection of #SARSCoV2, the #COVID19 virus, in 1 free-ranging white-tailed deer in the Saint John region of New Brunswick. Learn where the virus was previously found in wildlife in Canada: https://t.co/9ZYGyn8qgd pic.twitter.com/vm20F5WXNS
— Environment Canada (@environmentca) April 6, 2022
