SARS-CoV-2 infection induces protective immunity and limits transmission in Syrian hamsters.

ABSTRACT: A critical question in understanding the immunity to SARS-COV-2 is whether recovered patients are protected against re-challenge and transmission upon second exposure. We developed a Syrian hamster model in which intranasal inoculation of just 100 TCID₅₀ virus caused viral pneumonia. Aged hamsters developed more severe disease and even succumbed to SARS-CoV-2 infection, representing the first lethal model using genetically unmodified laboratory animals. After initial viral clearance, the hamsters were re-challenged with 10⁵ TCID₅₀ SARS-CoV-2 and displayed more than 4 log reduction in median viral loads in both nasal washes and lungs in comparison to primary infections. Most importantly, re-challenged hamsters were unable to transmit virus to naïve hamsters,

SUBMITTER: Selvaraj P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7893819 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature