OmniVira

Respiratory disease in rhesus macaques inoculated with SARS-CoV-2.

Vincent J Munster1 Friederike Feldmann2 Brandi N Williamson1 Neeltje van Doremalen1 Lizzette Pérez-Pérez1 Jonathan Schulz1 Kimberly Meade-White1 Atsushi Okumura1 Julie Callison1 Beniah Brumbaugh3 Victoria A Avanzato1 Rebecca Rosenke2 Patrick W Hanley2 Greg Saturday2 Dana Scott2 Elizabeth R Fischer3 Emmie de Wit4
Affiliations 4 institutions
  1. Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA.
  2. Rocky Mountain Veterinary Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA.
  3. Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA.
  4. Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA. [email protected].
PMID32396922 DOI10.1038/s41586-020-2324-7 Year2020 Journal Nature Languageeng Statusppublish

Abstract

An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by a novel coronavirus (named SARS-CoV-2) and has a case fatality rate of approximately 2%, started in Wuhan (China) in December 20191,2. Following an unprecedented global spread3, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on 11 March 2020. Although data on COVID-19 in humans are emerging at a steady pace, some aspects of the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 can be studied in detail only in animal models, in which repeated sampling and tissue collection is possible. Here we show that SARS-CoV-2 causes a respiratory disease in rhesus macaques that lasts between 8 and 16 days. Pulmonary infiltrates, which are a hallmark of COVID-19 in humans, were visible in lung radiographs. We detected high viral loads in swabs from the nose and throat of all of the macaques, as well as in bronchoalveolar lavages; in one macaque, we observed prolonged rectal shedding. Together, the rhesus macaque recapitulates the moderate disease that has been observed in the majority of human cases of COVID-19. The establishment of the rhesus macaque as a model of COVID-19 will increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease, and aid in the development and testing of medical countermeasures.

Supporting text Virus Host Location
Disease Models, Animal 77 Animals 1948 Betacoronavirus 78 Body Fluids 3 Bronchoalveolar Lavage 1 Coronavirus Infections 171 Cough 2 COVID-19 425 Female 289 Fever 2 Lung 65 Macaca mulatta 10 Male 224 Pandemics 108 Pneumonia, Viral 42 Radiography 2 Respiration Disorders 1 SARS-CoV-2 453 Time Factors 26 Viral Load 36

Evidence records

2 total
Zoonotic Surveillance
1 records · 1 evidence types
Evidence type Viral Detection
1 records
OVE11569 Viral Detection
Key finding

SARS-CoV-2 was detected at high viral loads in nasal, throat, and bronchoalveolar lavage samples from rhesus macaques, with prolonged rectal shedding in one animal.

Virus
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Host
Rhesus monkey Macaca mulatta Experimental system
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Here we show that SARS-CoV-2 causes a respiratory disease in rhesus macaques that lasts between 8 and 16 days. We detected high viral loads in swabs from the nose and throat of all of the macaques, as well as in bronchoalveolar lavages; in one macaque, we observed prolonged rectal shedding.

Method
viral load detection | swab and lavage testing (likely qRT–PCR)
Sample type
nose swab | throat swab | bronchoalveolar lavage | rectal sample
Experimental Infection
1 records · 1 evidence types
Evidence type Pathogenicity Experiment
1 records
OVE11568 Pathogenicity Experiment
Key finding

SARS-CoV-2 infection in rhesus macaques caused a respiratory disease lasting 8–16 days with pulmonary infiltrates resembling human COVID-19.

Virus
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Host
Rhesus monkey Macaca mulatta Experimental system
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Here we show that SARS-CoV-2 causes a respiratory disease in rhesus macaques that lasts between 8 and 16 days. Pulmonary infiltrates, which are a hallmark of COVID-19 in humans, were visible in lung radiographs.

Method
controlled inoculation of rhesus macaques | radiographic imaging of lungs | clinical observation of respiratory signs
Experimental system
rhesus macaque infection model