Dataset Information

Pulmonary lesions following inoculation with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 (B.1.1.529) variant in Syrian golden hamsters.

ABSTRACT: The Omicron BA.1 (B.1.1.529) SARS-CoV-2 variant is characterized by a high number of mutations in the viral genome, associated with immune escape and increased viral spread. It remains unclear whether milder COVID-19 disease progression observed after infection with Omicron BA.1 in humans is due to reduced pathogenicity of the virus or due to pre-existing immunity from vaccination or previous infection. Here, we inoculated hamsters with Omicron BA.1 to evaluate pathogenicity and kinetics of viral shedding, compared to Delta (B.1.617.2) and to animals re-challenged with Omicron BA.1 after previous SARS-CoV-2 614G infection. Omicron BA.1 infected animals showed reduced clinical signs, pathological changes, and viral shedding, compared to Delta-infected animals, but still showed gross- and histopathological evidence of pneumonia. Pre-existing immunity reduced viral shedding and protected against pneumonia. Our data indicate that the observed decrease of disease severity is in part due to intrinsic properties of the Omicron BA.1 variant.

SUBMITTER: Rissmann M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9295819 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Pulmonary lesions following inoculation with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 (B.1.1.529) variant in Syrian golden hamsters.

Rissmann Melanie M Noack Danny D van Riel Debby D Schmitz Katharina S KS de Vries Rory D RD van Run Peter P Lamers Mart M MM Geurts van Kessel Corine H CH Koopmans Marion P G MPG Fouchier Ron A M RAM Kuiken Thijs T Haagmans Bart L BL Rockx Barry B

Emerging microbes & infections 20221201 1

The Omicron BA.1 (B.1.1.529) SARS-CoV-2 variant is characterized by a high number of mutations in the viral genome, associated with immune escape and increased viral spread. It remains unclear whether milder COVID-19 disease progression observed after infection with Omicron BA.1 in humans is due to reduced pathogenicity of the virus or due to pre-existing immunity from vaccination or previous infection. Here, we inoculated hamsters with Omicron BA.1 to evaluate pathogenicity and kinetics of vira ...[more]

PMID: 35787236

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Project description:The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants with greater transmissibility or immune evasion properties has jeopardized the existing vaccine and antibody-based countermeasures. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of boosting pre-immune hamsters with protein nanoparticle vaccines (Novavax, Inc.) containing recombinant Prototype (Wuhan-1) or BA.5 S proteins against a challenge with the Omicron BA.5 variant of SARS-CoV-2. Serum antibody binding and neutralization titers were quantified before challenge, and viral loads were measured 3 days after challenge. Boosting with Prototype or BA.5 vaccine induced similar antibody binding responses against ancestral Wuhan-1 or BA.5 S proteins, and neutralizing activity of Omicron BA.1 and BA.5 variants. One and three months after vaccine boosting, hamsters were challenged with the Omicron BA.5 variant. Prototype and BA.5 vaccine-boosted hamsters had reduced viral infection in the nasal washes, nasal turbinates, and lungs compared to unvaccinated animals. Although no significant differences in virus load were detected between the Prototype and BA.5 vaccine-boosted animals, fewer breakthrough infections were detected in the BA.5-vaccinated hamsters. Thus, immunity induced by Prototype or BA.5 S protein nanoparticle vaccine boosting can protect against the Omicron BA.5 variant in the Syrian hamster model.ImportanceAs SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, there may be a need to update the vaccines to match the newly emerging variants. Here, we compared the protective efficacy of the updated BA.5 and the original Wuhan-1 COVID-19 vaccine against a challenge with the BA.5 Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in hamsters. Both vaccines induced similar levels of neutralizing antibodies against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2. One and three months after the final immunization, hamsters were challenged with BA.5. No differences in protection against the BA.5 variant virus were observed between the two vaccines, although fewer breakthrough infections were detected in the BA.5-vaccinated hamsters. Together, our data show that both protein nanoparticle vaccines are effective against the BA.5 variant of SARS-CoV-2 but given the increased number of breakthrough infections and continued evolution, it is important to update the COVID-19 vaccine for long-term protection.

Dataset Information

Pulmonary lesions following inoculation with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 (B.1.1.529) variant in Syrian golden hamsters.

Publications

Pulmonary lesions following inoculation with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 (B.1.1.529) variant in Syrian golden hamsters.

Similar Datasets

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