Cynomolgus Macaque as an Animal Model for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

• Main Authors: Lawler, James V, Endy, Timothy P, Hensley, Lisa E, Garrison, Aura, Fritz, Elizabeth A, Lesar, May, Baric, Ralph S, Kulesh, David A, Norwood, David A, Wasieloski, Leonard P
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anatomy and Physiology; ANTIBODIES; Biology; BRONCHI; CONJUNCTIVITIS; CORONAVIRUS; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; INOCULATION; MACAQUE MONKEYS; NONHUMAN PRIMATES; PNEUMONIA; RADIOGRAPHY; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM; SARS(SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROMES); SARS-COV(SARS-ASSOCIATED CORONAVIRUS); VACCINES

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002 - 2003 had a tremendous global impact. Adequate animal models are required to study the underlying pathogenesis of SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection and to develop effective vaccines and therapeutics. In order to characterize clinically relevant parameters of SARS-CoV infection in non-human primates, we infected cynomolgus macaques with SARS-CoV in three groups: Group I was infected in the nares and bronchus, group II in the nares and conjunctiva and Group II intravenously. Animals in Groups I and II developed mild-moderate symptomatic illness. All animals demonstrated evidence of viral replication and developed neutralizing antibodies. Chest radiographs from several animals in Groups I and II revealed unifocal or multifocal pneumonia that peaked between days 8 -10 postinfection. Clinical laboratory tests were not significantly changed. Overall, inoculation by a mucosal route produced more significant disease that intravenous inoculation. SARS-CoV infection of cynomolgus macaques did not reproduce the severe illness seen in the majority of human cases of SARS; however, our results suggest similarities to the more mild syndrome of SARS infection characteristically seen in young children. The original document contains color images.