One Health collaboration is more effective than single-sector actions at mitigating SARS-CoV-2 in deer

Area of Science:

• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• One Health emphasizes interconnected health of people, animals, plants, and environments.
• SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) poses risks through transmission between humans and animals.
• White-tailed deer represent a significant interface for potential SARS-CoV-2 spillover.

Purpose of the Study:

• To frame the One Health problem of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in white-tailed deer.
• To develop and evaluate management strategies for mitigating deer-to-human SARS-CoV-2 risk.
• To quantitatively assess the effectiveness of single-sector versus collaborative One Health approaches.

Main Methods:

• Framed the One Health problem by identifying objectives, transmission pathways, and management actions across three sectors: captive deer management, wild deer management, and public health.
• Developed a dynamic simulation model linking deer herds to assess SARS-CoV-2 spread.
• Evaluated various management alternatives for their efficacy in reducing viral transmission.

Main Results:

• Single-sector management actions showed some reduction in SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
• The most effective strategy involved coordinated actions across wildlife, agricultural, and public health sectors.
• Quantitative analysis supported that integrated One Health actions significantly outperformed isolated, single-sector responses.

Conclusions:

• Integrated One Health approaches are superior to single-sector strategies for managing SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer.
• Effective implementation of One Health strategies relies on inter-agency coordination and adaptive management.
• Understanding and mitigating zoonotic disease transmission requires a multisectoral, collaborative framework.