Convenience Sampling Yields No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Free-Ranging Mammalian Wildlife in Arizona, USA, 2021–23

Abstract

Susceptibility of free-ranging US wildlife to SARS-CoV-2 infection has been documented. Nasal or oral swabs and blood from 337 wild mammals (31 species) in Arizona USA, tested for antibodies and by reverse-transcription PCR, did not reveal evidence of SARS-CoV-2. Broader surveillance efforts are necessary to understand the role of wildlife.