Ocular conjunctival inoculation of SARS-CoV-2 can cause mild COVID-19 in rhesus macaques.

ABSTRACT: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly transmitted through the respiratory route, but potential extra-respiratory routes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission remain uncertain. Here we inoculated five rhesus macaques with 1 × 10⁶ TCID₅₀ of SARS-CoV-2 conjunctivally (CJ), intratracheally (IT), and intragastrically (IG). Nasal and throat swabs collected from CJ and IT had detectable viral RNA at 1-7 days post-inoculation (dpi). Viral RNA was detected in anal swabs from only the IT group at 1-7 dpi. Viral RNA was undetectable in tested swabs and tissues after intragastric inoculation. The CJ infected animal had a higher viral load in the nasolacrimal system than the IT infected animal but also showed mild interstitial pneumonia, suggesting distinct v

SUBMITTER: Deng W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7467924 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature