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Published on: April 28, 2019
A small nonhuman primate model for filovirus-induced disease
Ricardo Carrion1, Youngtae Ro, Kareema Hoosien
1Department of Virology and Immunology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, 7620 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA. carrion@TxBiomed.org
Virology
|October 1, 2011
Summary
Common marmosets infected with Marburgvirus or Ebolavirus developed fatal hemorrhagic disease, closely mimicking human filovirus infections. This establishes the marmoset as a valuable small nonhuman primate model for studying filovirus diseases.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Primate Models
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Filoviruses, including Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus, cause severe hemorrhagic fever with high mortality in humans and primates.
- Existing nonhuman primate models are often large and costly, necessitating smaller alternatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) as a small nonhuman primate model for filovirus disease.
- To characterize the clinical and pathological outcomes of Marburgvirus and Ebolavirus infection in marmosets.
Main Methods:
- Common marmosets were intramuscularly inoculated with wild-type Marburgvirus Musoke or Ebolavirus Zaire.
- Clinical signs, virological parameters, and pathological changes were monitored and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Infection led to systemic fatal disease with clinical and morphological features similar to human filovirus infections.
- Marmosets exhibited weight loss, fever, high viral titers, thrombocytopenia, neutrophilia, elevated liver enzymes, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
- Ebolavirus infection caused severe hepatic necrosis, while Marburgvirus infection resulted in splenic fibrin deposition, lymphoid necrosis, and lymphocytic depletion.
Conclusions:
- The common marmoset serves as a suitable small nonhuman primate model for filovirus-induced hemorrhagic fever.
- This model recapitulates key aspects of human filovirus disease, aiding in research and countermeasure development.
