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Influenza A Virus Studies in a Mouse Model of Infection
Published on: September 7, 2017
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Rodent adapted marburg viruses are lethal in ferrets
Zachary Schiffman1,2, Lauren Garnett1, Kaylie N Tran1
1Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
Npj Viruses
|September 8, 2025
Summary
Marburg virus (MARV) infection is lethal in ferrets, unlike Ebola virus (EBOV). This study establishes a MARV ferret model, revealing insights into filovirus disease pathogenesis and immune responses.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pathogenesis
- Animal Models
Background:
- Ferrets are susceptible to Ebola virus (EBOV) but not Marburg virus (MARV).
- Understanding MARV pathogenesis in ferrets is crucial for filovirus research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pathogenicity of rodent-adapted MARV in ferrets.
- To characterize a novel lethal MARV ferret model.
Main Methods:
- Ferrets were challenged with guinea pig-adapted (GPA)-MARV and mouse-adapted (MA)-MARV.
- Clinical signs, viral replication, coagulation, immune response, and viral genome were analyzed.
Main Results:
- GPA-MARV challenge caused uniform lethality and clinical signs of filovirus disease, including rash and thrombocytopenia.
- MA-MARV challenge resulted in partial lethality.
- GPA-MARV infected ferrets showed high viral replication, coagulation abnormalities, immune dysregulation, and hematological perturbations.
- GPA-MARV acquired genome mutations after ferret challenge.
Conclusions:
- This study establishes the first lethal Marburg virus ferret model.
- MARV infection in ferrets offers insights into filovirus disease pathogenesis, distinct from EBOV.
- The model is valuable for studying MARV-host interactions and potential therapeutics.
