tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
iScience
. 2022 May 4;104350.
doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104350. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronavirus exhibits similar infection characteristics to SARS-CoV-2 and direct contact transmissibility in hamsters
Zhendong Guo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Cheng Zhang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Chunmao Zhang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Huan Cui[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Zhaoliang Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Xinyun Jiang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tiecheng Wang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yuanguo Li[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jun Liu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Zhonghai Wan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Keyin Meng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jiping Li[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yigang Tong[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Yuwei Gao[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
To date, intermediate hosts of SARS-CoV-2 remain obscure and controversial. Several studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronavirus (Pangolin-CoV) has high sequence similarity to SARS-CoV-2 and might be the initial source of SARS-CoV-2; however, the biological characteristics of Pangolin-CoV are still largely unknown. In this study, we evaluated the pathogenicity and transmissibility of Pangolin-CoV in Syrian golden hamsters Mesocricetus auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) and compared it with SARS-CoV-2. Pangolin-CoV could effectively infect hamsters, showed similar tissue tropism to SARS-CoV-2 and replicated efficiently in the respiratory system and brain. The infected hamsters had no weight loss but had obvious viral shedding and lung pathological injury. Notably, Pangolin-CoV could transmit between hamsters by direct contact but not via aerosols, and the infected hamsters could exhale infectious viral aerosols (>1 μm). These results highlight the importance of continuous monitoring of coronaviruses in pangolins due to the potential threat of Pangolin-CoV to human health.
Keywords: Aerosols; Coronavirus; Golden hamster; Pangolin; Pathogenesis; SARS-CoV-2;
. 2022 May 4;104350.
doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104350. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronavirus exhibits similar infection characteristics to SARS-CoV-2 and direct contact transmissibility in hamsters
Zhendong Guo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Cheng Zhang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Chunmao Zhang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Huan Cui[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Zhaoliang Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Xinyun Jiang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tiecheng Wang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yuanguo Li[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jun Liu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Zhonghai Wan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Keyin Meng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jiping Li[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yigang Tong[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Yuwei Gao[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35529312
- PMCID: PMC9065673
- DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104350
Abstract
To date, intermediate hosts of SARS-CoV-2 remain obscure and controversial. Several studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronavirus (Pangolin-CoV) has high sequence similarity to SARS-CoV-2 and might be the initial source of SARS-CoV-2; however, the biological characteristics of Pangolin-CoV are still largely unknown. In this study, we evaluated the pathogenicity and transmissibility of Pangolin-CoV in Syrian golden hamsters Mesocricetus auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) and compared it with SARS-CoV-2. Pangolin-CoV could effectively infect hamsters, showed similar tissue tropism to SARS-CoV-2 and replicated efficiently in the respiratory system and brain. The infected hamsters had no weight loss but had obvious viral shedding and lung pathological injury. Notably, Pangolin-CoV could transmit between hamsters by direct contact but not via aerosols, and the infected hamsters could exhale infectious viral aerosols (>1 μm). These results highlight the importance of continuous monitoring of coronaviruses in pangolins due to the potential threat of Pangolin-CoV to human health.
Keywords: Aerosols; Coronavirus; Golden hamster; Pangolin; Pathogenesis; SARS-CoV-2;