COVID-19 found in California wildlife.

California has detected the first case of COVID-19 in free-ranging wildlife, specifically in a mule deer buck in the Sierra Nevada. While the virus does not appear to cause illness in deer, scientists are concerned that animals could act as a hiding place for the virus, potentially breeding dangerous variants that cause new outbreaks in people. The virus has also been found in cats, dogs, zoo animals, and deer in other states. The discovery was made during part of the state’s regular wildlife surveillance effort to track the spread of infectious diseases.