Key result
Masked palm civets were equally susceptible to experimental infection by two different human SARS-CoV isolates (GZ01 and BJ01), with all inoculated animals developing clinical symptoms and virological evidence of infection.
Civets are highly susceptible to experimental infection with human SARS-CoV isolates, supporting their potential role in animal-to-human transmission.
Supports civet susceptibility to human SARS-CoV; leaves open their role in natural zoonotic transmission.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was caused by a novel virus now known as SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The discovery of SARS-CoV-like viruses in masked palm civets (Paguma larvata) raises the possibility that civets play a role in SARS-CoV transmission. To test the susceptibility of civets to experimental infection by different SARS-CoV isolates, 10 civets were inoculated with two human isolates of SARS-CoV, BJ01 (with a 29-nucleotide deletion) and GZ01 (without the 29-nucleotide deletion). All inoculated animals displayed clinical symptoms, such as fever, lethargy, and loss of aggressiveness, and the infection was confirmed by virus isolation, detection of viral genomic RNA, and serum-neutralizing antibodies. Our data show that civets were equally susceptible to SARS-CoV isolates GZ01 and BJ01.
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Wu et al. (2005) studied SARS-CoV infection (n=11). SARS-CoV isolates GZ01 and BJ01 vs. Mock infection was evaluated on Susceptibility to experimental infection (clinical signs, virus isolation, RT-PCR, neutralizing antibodies). Masked palm civets were equally susceptible to experimental infection by two different human SARS-CoV isolates (GZ01 and BJ01), with all inoculated animals developing clinical symptoms and virological evidence of infection.
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