Civets are equally susceptible to experimental infection by two different severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus isolates.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was caused by a novel virus now known as SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The discovery of SARS-CoV-like viruses in masked palm civets (Paguma larvata) raises the possibility that civets play a role in SARS-CoV transmission. To test the susceptibility of civets to experimental infection by different SARS-CoV isolates, 10 civets were inoculated with two human isolates of SARS-CoV, BJ01 (with a 29-nucleotide deletion) and GZ01 (without the 29-nucleotide deletion). All inoculated animals displayed clinical symptoms, such as fever, lethargy, and loss of aggressiveness, and the infection was confirmed by virus isolation, detection of viral genomic RNA, and serum-neutralizing antibodies. Our data show that civets were equally susceptible to SARS-CoV isolates GZ01 and BJ01.
Wu
Donglai
D
National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Harbin 150001, China.
Tu
Changchun
C
Xin
Chaoan
C
Xuan
Hua
H
Meng
Qingwen
Q
Liu
Yonggang
Y
Yu
Yedong
Y
Guan
Yuntao
Y
Jiang
Yu
Y
Yin
Xunnan
X
Crameri
Gary
G
Wang
Muping
M
Li
Changwen
C
Liu
Shengwang
S
Liao
Ming
M
Feng
Li
L
Xiang
Hua
H
Sun
Jinfu
J
Chen
Jinding
J
Sun
Yanwei
Y
Gu
Shoulin
S
Liu
Nihong
N
Fu
Dexia
D
Eaton
Bryan T
BT
Wang
Lin-Fa
LF
Kong
Xiangang
X
D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000635:transmission; D002415:Cats; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D045949:Viverridae