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The guinea pig as a transmission model for human influenza viruses

Authors :
Lowen, Anice C.
Mubareka, Samira
Tumpey, Terrence M.
Garcia-Sastre, Adolfo
Palese, Peter
Source :
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. June 27, 2006, Vol. 103 Issue 26, p9988, 5 p.
Publication Year :
2006

Abstract

The severity of epidemic and pandemic influenza outbreaks is dictated in part by the efficiency with which the causative strain transmits between human hosts. The mechanisms underlying influenza virus spread are poorly understood, in part because of the lack of a convenient animal model to study this phenomenon. Indeed, despite extremely efficient transmission among humans and virulence in the mouse model, we have shown that even the 1918 pandemic influenza virus does not transmit between mice. We therefore evaluated the guinea pig as a model mammalian host for influenza virus. Using the recent human isolate A/Panama/ 2007/99 (Pan/99) (H3N2) virus, we found that guinea pigs were highly susceptible to infection with the unadapted virus ([ID.sub.50] = 5 plaque-forming units). Pan/99 virus grew to high titers in the upper respiratory tract and was shed in nasal washings of infected animals. Moreover, influenza virus was transmitted from infected guinea pigs to noninfected guinea pigs housed in the same cage, an adjacent cage, and a cage placed 91 cm away. Our results demonstrate that influenza virus can pass between guinea pigs by means of droplet spread and thereby establish the suitability of the guinea pig as a model host for influenza virus transmission studies. avian influenza virus | contact spread | droplet spread | pandemic | sentinel

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
00278424
Volume :
103
Issue :
26
Database :
Gale General OneFile
Journal :
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsgcl.149023495