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Macaque model for severe acute respiratory syndrome

Thomas Rowe1, Guangping Gao, Robert J Hogan

  • 1204 Wistar, 3601 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19104. wilsonjm@mail.med.upenn.edu

Journal of Virology
|September 29, 2004
PubMed

Insights

This study found that rhesus and cynomolgus macaques challenged with SARS coronavirus developed mild respiratory infections, unlike severe disease in humans. The current macaque model has limited use for studying severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or testing therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Primatology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak highlighted the need for effective animal models to study the disease and develop treatments.
  • Non-human primates, such as rhesus and cynomolgus macaques, are often used as models for human infectious diseases due to their physiological similarities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the utility of rhesus and cynomolgus macaques as a model for studying severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus infection.
  • To assess the clinical and pathological outcomes of SARS-CoV challenge in these non-human primates.

Main Methods:

  • Rhesus and cynomolgus macaques were inoculated with a high dose (10^7 PFU) of a clinical isolate of SARS-CoV.
  • Animals were monitored for clinical signs of respiratory illness and disease progression.

Main Results:

  • A subset of macaques exhibited mild, self-limiting respiratory infections.
  • The observed symptoms and disease course in macaques were significantly different from the severe respiratory illness seen in human SARS patients.
  • The macaque model did not replicate the critical aspects of SARS pathology.

Conclusions:

  • The current macaque model exhibits limited utility for investigating the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV.
  • This model is not suitable for the comprehensive evaluation of therapeutic interventions for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

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