Replication, pathogenicity, and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in minks

Lei Shuai; Gongxun Zhong; Quan Yuan; Zhiyuan Wen; Chong Wang; Xijun He; Renqiang Liu; Jinliang Wang; Qinjian Zhao; Yuxiu Liu; Ningning Huo; Junhua Deng; Jingjing Bai; Hongchao Wu; Yuntao Guan; Jianzhong Shi; Kegong Tian; Ningshao Xia; Hualan Chen; Zhigao Bu

doi:10.1093/nsr/nwaa291

Replication, pathogenicity, and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in minks

Natl Sci Rev. 2020 Dec 8;8(3):nwaa291. doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwaa291. eCollection 2021 Mar.

Authors

Lei Shuai¹, Gongxun Zhong¹, Quan Yuan², Zhiyuan Wen¹, Chong Wang¹, Xijun He¹, Renqiang Liu¹, Jinliang Wang¹, Qinjian Zhao², Yuxiu Liu³, Ningning Huo³, Junhua Deng³, Jingjing Bai³, Hongchao Wu³, Yuntao Guan⁴, Jianzhong Shi¹, Kegong Tian³, Ningshao Xia², Hualan Chen¹, Zhigao Bu¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150069, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
³ National Research Center for Veterinary Medicine, Luoyang 471003, China.
⁴ National High Containment Laboratory for Animal Diseases Control and Prevention, Harbin 150069, China.

Abstract

Minks are raised in many countries and have transmitted severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to humans. However, the biologic properties of SARS-CoV-2 in minks are largely unknown. Here, we investigated and found that SARS-CoV-2 replicates efficiently in both the upper and lower respiratory tracts, and transmits efficiently in minks via respiratory droplets; pulmonary lesions caused by SARS-CoV-2 in minks are similar to those seen in humans with COVID-19. We further found that a spike protein-based subunit vaccine largely prevented SARS-CoV-2 replication and lung damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection in minks. Our study indicates that minks are a useful animal model for evaluating the efficacy of drugs or vaccines against COVID-19 and that vaccination is a potential strategy to prevent minks from transmitting SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; animal model; mink; pathogenicity; replication; transmission.