RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Hamster and ferret experimental infection with intranasal low dose of a single strain of SARS-CoV-2
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2020.09.24.311977
DO 10.1101/2020.09.24.311977
A1 Monchatre-Leroy, Elodie
A1 Lesellier, Sandrine
A1 Wasniewski, Marine
A1 Picard-Meyer, Evelyne
A1 Richomme, Céline
A1 Boué, Franck
A1 Lacôte, Sandra
A1 Murri, Séverine
A1 Pulido, Coralie
A1 Vulin, Johann
A1 Salguero, Francisco J
A1 Gouilh, Meriadeg Ar
A1 Servat, Alexandre
A1 Marianneau, Philippe
YR 2020
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/09/24/2020.09.24.311977.abstract
AB Understanding the pathogenesis of the SARS-CoV-2 infection is key to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies against COVID-19, in the case of severe illness but also when the disease is mild. The use of appropriate experimental animal models remains central in the in-vivo exploration of the physiopathology of infection and antiviral strategies. This study describes SARS-CoV-2 intra-nasal infection in ferrets and hamsters with low doses of low-passage SARS-CoV-2 clinical French isolate UCN19, describing infection levels, excretion, immune responses and pathological patterns in both animal species. Individual infection with 103 pfu SARS-CoV-2 induced a more severe disease in hamsters than in ferrets. Viral RNA was detected in the lungs of hamsters but not of ferrets and in the brain (olfactive and/or spinal bulbs) of both species. Overall, the clinical disease remained mild, with serological responses detected from 7 days and 10 days post inoculation in hamsters and ferrets respectively. Virus became undetectable and pathology resolved within 14 days. The kinetics and levels of infection can be used in ferrets and hamsters as experimental models for understanding the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2, and testing the protective effect of drugs.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.