Three asymptomatic animal infection models of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by hantaviruses

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 14; no. 5; p. e0216700
• Main Authors: Perley, Casey C, Brocato, Rebecca L, Kwilas, Steven A, Daye, Sharon, Moreau, Alicia, Nichols, Donald K, Wetzel, Kelly S, Shamblin, Joshua, Hooper, Jay W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 10.05.2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Animal diseases; Animal models; Animals; Antibodies; Antigens; Asymptomatic infection; Asymptomatic Infections; Biology and Life Sciences; Brain; Chlorocebus aethiops; Cricetinae; Disease Models, Animal; Epidemics; Fatalities; Female; Ferrets; Fever; Genomes; Genomics; Hamsters; Hantavirus; Hantavirus - physiology; Hantavirus infections; Hemorrhage; Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome - virology; Hemorrhagic fevers; Infection; Infections; Infectious diseases; Influenza; Kidneys; Lassa fever; Lungs; Marmosets; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mustela; Organs; Pathology; Renal function; Research and Analysis Methods; Science & Technology - Other Topics; Seroconversion; Studies; Therapeutics; Vaccines; Vero Cells; Viral infections; Viremia; Virology; Viruses; Weight loss; United States > US; Maryland
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216700

Hantaan virus (HTNV) and Puumala virus (PUUV) are rodent-borne hantaviruses that are the primary causes of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Europe and Asia. The development of well characterized animal models of HTNV and PUUV infection is critical for the evaluation and the potential licensure of HFRS vaccines and therapeutics. In this study we present three animal models of HTNV infection (hamster, ferret and marmoset), and two animal models of PUUV infection (hamster, ferret). Infection of hamsters with a ~3 times the infectious dose 99% (ID99) of HTNV by the intramuscular and ~1 ID99 of HTNV by the intranasal route leads to a persistent asymptomatic infection, characterized by sporadic viremia and high levels of viral genome in the lung, brain and kidney. In contrast, infection of hamsters with ~2 ID99 of PUUV by the intramuscular or ~1 ID99 of PUUV by the intranasal route leads to seroconversion with no detectable viremia, and a transient detection of viral genome. Infection of ferrets with a high dose of either HTNV or PUUV by the intramuscular route leads to seroconversion and gradual weight loss, though kidney function remained unimpaired and serum viremia and viral dissemination to organs was not detected. In marmosets a 1,000 PFU HTNV intramuscular challenge led to robust seroconversion and neutralizing antibody production. Similarly to the ferret model of HTNV infection, no renal impairment, serum viremia or viral dissemination to organs was detected in marmosets. This is the first report of hantavirus infection in ferrets and marmosets.