Acute Late-Stage Myocarditis in the Crab-Eating Macaque Model of Hemorrhagic Smallpox

Reed F Johnson; Lauren A Keith; Timothy K Cooper; Srikanth Yellayi; Nicole M Josleyn; Krisztina B Janosko; James D Pettitt; David Thomasson; Katie R Hagen; Robin Gross; John G Bernbaum; Debbie Douglas; Jeffrey Solomon; Mark Martinez; Kurt Cooper; Marisa St Claire; Danny R Ragland; Peter B Jahrling; Jens H Kuhn; Andrew E Arai

doi:10.3390/v13081571

Acute Late-Stage Myocarditis in the Crab-Eating Macaque Model of Hemorrhagic Smallpox

Viruses. 2021 Aug 9;13(8):1571. doi: 10.3390/v13081571.

Authors

Reed F Johnson^{1

2}, Lauren A Keith², Timothy K Cooper², Srikanth Yellayi², Nicole M Josleyn², Krisztina B Janosko², James D Pettitt², David Thomasson², Katie R Hagen², Robin Gross², John G Bernbaum², Debbie Douglas², Jeffrey Solomon³, Mark Martinez², Kurt Cooper², Marisa St Claire², Danny R Ragland², Peter B Jahrling^{1

2}, Jens H Kuhn², Andrew E Arai⁴

Affiliations

¹ Emerging Viral Pathogens Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
² Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
³ Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21701, USA.
⁴ Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Group, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

Abstract

Hemorrhagic smallpox, caused by variola virus (VARV), was a rare but nearly 100% lethal human disease manifestation. Hemorrhagic smallpox is frequently characterized by secondary bacterial infection, coagulopathy, and myocardial and subendocardial hemorrhages. Previous experiments have demonstrated that intravenous (IV) cowpox virus (CPXV) exposure of macaques mimics human hemorrhagic smallpox. The goal of this experiment was to further understand the onset, nature, and severity of cardiac pathology and how it may contribute to disease. The findings support an acute late-stage myocarditis with lymphohistiocytic infiltrates in the CPXV model of hemorrhagic smallpox.

Keywords: CPXV; VARV; biodefense; cardiac MRI; cowpox; myocarditis; smallpox; variola.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

Acute Disease
Animals
Cowpox virus / pathogenicity*
Disease Models, Animal
Female
Hemorrhage / virology*
Macaca fascicularis / virology
Male
Myocarditis / veterinary
Myocarditis / virology*
Smallpox / complications
Smallpox / physiopathology*
Smallpox / virology*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding