Roborovski hamster (Phodopus roborovskii) strain SH101 as a systemic infection model of SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently causing a worldwide threat with its unusually high transmission rates and rapid evolution into diverse strains. Unlike typical respiratory viruses, SARS-CoV-2 frequently causes systemic infection by breaking the boundaries of the respiratory systems. The development of animal models recapitulating the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 is of utmost importance not only for the development of vaccines and antivirals but also for understanding the pathogenesis. However, there has not been developed an animal model for systemic infection of SARS-CoV-2 representing most aspects of the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 with systemic symptoms. Here we report that a Roborovski hamster strain SH101, a laboratory inbred hamster strain of P. roborovskii , displayed most symptoms of systemic infection upon SARS-CoV-2 infection as in the case of the human counterpart, unlike current COVID-19 animal models. Roborovski hamster strain SH101 post-infection of SARS-CoV-2 represented most clinical symptoms of COVID-19 such as snuffling, labored breathing, dyspnea, cough, hunched posture, progressive weight loss, ruffled fur, and high fever following shaking chills. Histological examinations also revealed initial right-predominated pneumonia as well as slight organ damages in the brain and liver, manifesting systemic COVID-19 cases. Considering the merit of a small animal as well as its clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection in human, this hamster model seems to provide an ideal tool to investigate COVID-19.

Development of a Hamster Natural Transmission Model of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

“…Whilst the work reported within was conducted with Golden Syrian hamsters, other hamster species have also been reported to serve as small animal models in SARS-CoV-2 research, including cardiomyopathy J2N-k [20] and Roborovski strains [21]. The set-up described could thus be transferable for these models too.…”

The neuroinvasiveness, neurotropism, and neurovirulence of SARS-CoV-2

“…RNA in the CNS as well as inflammation and changes in the neurovascular system [17,30]. Although the Syrian hamster has been used most frequently in hamster studies, it was recently shown that, in Roborovski dwarf hamsters, inbred hamsters, transgenic hamsters expressing human ACE2, and obese hamsters, SARS-CoV-2 infection resulted in more severe disease and systemic spread, including virus spread to the CNS [88][89][90][91].…”

SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern type and biological sex affect efficacy of molnupiravir in dwarf hamster model of severe COVID-19

“…Missing is an efficacy model that recapitulates the acute lung injury of life-threatening COVID-19, thereby offering a relevant experimental platform to test the effect of molnupiravir on mitigating lung damage caused by different VOC and explore the impact of treatment on disease outcome. We selected Roborovski dwarf hamsters as a candidate model for this study, since these dwarf hamsters developed acute diffuse alveolar pneumonia and succumbed to infection 22,23 when challenged with original SARS-CoV-2 isolates 4 from 2020.…”