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Viral shedding and transmission after natural infection and vaccination in an animal model of SARS-CoV-2 propagation

Caroline J. Zeiss, Jennifer L. Asher, Brent Vander Wyk, Heather G. Allore, Susan Compton
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.05.11.443477
Caroline J. Zeiss
1Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06437
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  • For correspondence: caroline.zeiss@yale.edu
Jennifer L. Asher
1Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06437
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Brent Vander Wyk
2Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06437
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Heather G. Allore
2Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06437
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Susan Compton
1Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06437
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Abstract

At present, global immunity to SARS-CoV-2 resides within a heterogeneous combination of susceptible, naturally infected and vaccinated individuals. The extent to which viral shedding and transmission occurs on re-exposure to SARS-CoV-2 after prior natural exposure or vaccination is an emerging area of understanding. We used Sialodacryoadenitis Virus (SDAV) in rats to model the extent to which immune protection afforded by prior natural infection via high risk (inoculation; direct contact) or low risk (fomite) exposure, or by vaccination, influenced viral shedding and transmission on re-exposure. On initial infection, we confirmed that amount, duration and consistency of viral shedding were correlated with exposure risk. Animals were reinfected after 3.7-5.5 months using the same exposure paradigm. Amount and duration of viral shedding were correlated with re-exposure type and serologic status. 59% of seropositive animals shed virus. Previously exposed seropositive reinfected animals were able to transmit virus to 25% of naive recipient rats after 24-hour exposure by direct contact. Rats vaccinated intranasally with a related virus (Parkers Rat Coronavirus) were able to transmit SDAV to only 4.7% of naive animals after a 7-day direct contact exposure, despite comparable viral shedding. Observed cycle threshold values associated with transmission in both groups ranged from 29-36 cycles, however observed shedding was not a prerequisite for transmission. Results indicate that low-level shedding in both naturally infected and vaccinated seropositive animals can propagate infection in susceptible individuals. Extrapolated to COVID-19, our results suggest that continued propagation of SARS-CoV-2 by seropositive previously infected or vaccinated individuals is possible.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted May 11, 2021.
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Viral shedding and transmission after natural infection and vaccination in an animal model of SARS-CoV-2 propagation
Caroline J. Zeiss, Jennifer L. Asher, Brent Vander Wyk, Heather G. Allore, Susan Compton
bioRxiv 2021.05.11.443477; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.05.11.443477
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Viral shedding and transmission after natural infection and vaccination in an animal model of SARS-CoV-2 propagation
Caroline J. Zeiss, Jennifer L. Asher, Brent Vander Wyk, Heather G. Allore, Susan Compton
bioRxiv 2021.05.11.443477; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.05.11.443477

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