Developing a Coccidioides posadasii and SARS-CoV-2 Co-infection Model in the K18-hACE2 Transgenic Mouse.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early reports showed that patients with COVID-19 had recrudescence of previously resolved coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever, VF), and there were indications that coinfection had more severe outcomes. We therefore investigated serial infection of Coccidioides posadasii and SARS-CoV-2 in a K18-hACE2 mouse model to assess disease outcomes.

Methods

In our model, we challenged K18-hACE2 mice sequentially with a sub-lethal dose of SARS-CoV-2 and 24 hours later with low virulence strain of Coccidioides posadasii, and vice versa, compared to mice that only received a single infection challenge. We performed survival and pathogenesis mouse studies as well as looked at the systemic immune response differences between treatment groups.

Results

Here we show that co-infe

SUBMITTER: Kollath DR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11442577 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature