NYMC Student Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

5-18-2026

Document Type

Master's Thesis - Restricted (NYMC/Touro only) Access

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Microbiology and Immunology

First Advisor

Chandra Shekhar Bakshi

Second Advisor

Raj Tiwari

Third Advisor

Dana Mordue

Abstract

The global COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have highlighted the need to understand all potential routes of viral transmission. The virus is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets and close contact. To date, 29 non-human mammalian species have been infected by humans; therefore, the reverse zoonosis of SARS-CoV-2 is a rapidly emerging global challenge. This issue is further complicated by the rapid adaptation and spread of SARS-CoV-2 among wild, free-range animals, especially the white-tailed deer in the USA. According to a current estimate, there are 30 million free-range white-tailed deer in the USA. The rapid spread and clinical features of COVID-19 in deer populations indicate that these animals could maintain the virus in nature and might serve as reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2 that could spread to other hosts, including humans. Furthermore, hematophagous vectors such as ticks may become infected with SARS-CoV-2 if they feed on an infected animal host and, as a result, may serve as mechanical and/or biological vectors for SARS- CoV-2. However, no study has examined whether SARS-CoV-2 is present on or in ticks and, if so, whether ticks may serve as vectors for COVID-19 transmission.

This study focused on developing a rapid method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and surveying their presence in the Hudson Valley region of New York State. Our results demonstrate that the duplex Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) developed in this study reliably detects SARS-CoV-2 RNA in tick samples. Furthermore, testing of ticks collected from the Hudson Valley region does not indicate widespread SARS-CoV-2 presence. Out of more than 300 ticks tested, only two tick pools tested positive, which was further confirmed by sequencing of the amplified fragment.

This study constitutes the first step towards studying the ecological adaptation of SARS-CoV-2 in the tick population. An accurate understanding of SARS-CoV-2 adaptation in arthropod vectors will address the challenges associated with the increased risk of zoonotic virus transmission and, therefore, aid in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

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Available for download on Thursday, December 31, 2026

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