Experimental Infection of Rats with Influenza A Viruses: Implications for Murine Rodents in Influenza A Virus Ecology.

ABSTRACT: Rattus norvegicus (brown rat), a widely distributed rodent and common biomedical model, is a known reservoir for many zoonotic pathogens but has not been traditionally recognized as a host for influenza A virus (IAV). To evaluate their susceptibility, we intranasally inoculated Sprague-Dawley rats with various IAV subtypes, including H5Nx, H7N9, H9N2, H10N8 and the 2009 pandemic H1N1. All strains productively infected the rats, inducing seroconversion without overt clinical signs. While replication efficiency varied, all viruses caused significant lung injury with a preferential tropism for the upper respiratory tract. Investigation of receptor distribution revealed a predominance of α2,3-linked sialic acid (SA) in the nasal turbinates and trachea, whereas α2,6-linked SA was more ab

SUBMITTER: Li L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12030792 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature