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Playing dirty with virus transmission
Christin Herrmann1, Ken Cadwell1,2,3
1Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman University School of Medicine, New York, NY.
The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|December 28, 2021
Abstract:
In this issue of JEM, Fay et al. (2021. J. Exp. Med.https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20211220) cohouse dirty pet store mice and rats with clean laboratory mice to gain insights into infection dynamics, discover new viruses, and identify relationships between viruses and the microbiome.
Insights
Researchers cohoused pet store rodents with lab mice to study virus spread and discover new viruses. This research sheds light on infection dynamics and the interplay between viruses and the microbiome.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- The microbiome plays a crucial role in host health and disease.
- Understanding viral transmission is key to preventing outbreaks.
- Rodent models are essential for studying infectious diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate viral transmission dynamics between different rodent populations.
- To discover novel viruses in pet store rodents.
- To explore the relationship between viral infections and the host microbiome.
Main Methods:
- Cohabitation of pet store rodents (mice and rats) with clean laboratory mice.
- Viral screening and sequencing to identify known and novel viruses.
- Microbiome analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing.
- Comparative analysis of viral loads and microbiome composition.
Main Results:
- Identification of several known and potentially novel viruses in pet store rodents.
- Evidence of viral transmission from pet store rodents to laboratory mice.
- Significant alterations in the microbiome composition of laboratory mice exposed to pet store rodents.
- Correlation between specific viral infections and changes in microbiome diversity.
Conclusions:
- Pet store rodents can serve as reservoirs for diverse viruses, posing a potential risk to laboratory animal populations.
- Viral infections can significantly impact the gut microbiome, potentially affecting host susceptibility and disease progression.
- This study highlights the importance of biosecurity measures and the need for further research into virus-microbiome interactions.
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