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Home / Equine Research Bank / Viruses / Inoculation of Goats, Sheep, and Horses with MERS-CoV Does N...
Viruses2016; 8(8); 230; doi: 10.3390/v8080230

Inoculation of Goats, Sheep, and Horses with MERS-CoV Does Not Result in Productive Viral Shedding.

Abstract: The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first recognized in 2012 and can cause severe disease in infected humans. Dromedary camels are the reservoir for the virus, although, other than nasal discharge, these animals do not display any overt clinical disease. Data from in vitro experiments suggest that other livestock such as sheep, goats, and horses might also contribute to viral transmission, although field data has not identified any seropositive animals. In order to understand if these animals could be infected, we challenged young goats and horses and adult sheep with MERS-CoV by intranasal inoculation. Minimal or no virus shedding was detected in all of the animals. During the four weeks following inoculation, neutralizing antibodies were detected in the young goats, but not in sheep or horses.
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Publication Date: 2016-08-19 PubMed ID: 27548203PubMed Central: PMC4997592DOI: 10.3390/v8080230Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support
  • U.S. Gov't
  • Non-P.H.S.

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research studied the effect of MERS-CoV on goats, sheep, and horses and found that these animals did not significantly shed the virus after being intranasally inoculated with it, with goats developing neutralizing antibodies.

Introduction and Background

  • The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a potentially lethal virus first identified in 2012. It primarily affects humans, causing severe symptoms in infected patients.
  • Dromedary camels are considered the host reservoir for this virus. While they do carry MERS-CoV, these animals don’t show any significant symptoms apart from a nasal discharge.
  • Initial data suggested that other livestock including sheep, goats, and horses might also be potential carriers of this deadly virus. However, no actual field data had been able to identify these animals as being seropositive (carrying the specific antibodies for a disease).

Purpose and Method of Study

  • The aim of the study was to determine whether these animals (sheep, goats, horses) could indeed get infected by MERS-CoV, contributing to the spread of this disease.
  • The animals chosen for the study were young goats and horses and adult sheep. They were intranasally inoculated, or deliberately infected, with the virus to monitor the resulting effects.

Results of the Study

  • The results showed minimal or no virus shedding in all the animals following their inoculation with MERS-CoV. This lack of significant viral shedding implies that these animals do not serve as effective carriers of the virus.
  • Interestingly, neutralizing antibodies (those that can inhibit or neutralize any effect of a pathogen on the body) were detected in the young goats after four weeks of inoculation. These antibodies were not found in neither the sheep nor horses.

Implications of the Results

  • The results of this study suggest that sheep, goats, and horses might not significantly contribute to the transmission of MERS-CoV. Especially since they do not effectively shed the virus after inoculation.
  • Further research is required to understand why only young goats were able to produce neutralizing antibodies, while the adult sheep and horses weren’t able to do so. This could potentially lead to new insights about the transmission and control of MERS-CoV.

Cite This Article

APA
Adney DR, Brown VR, Porter SM, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Hartwig AE, Bowen RA. (2016). Inoculation of Goats, Sheep, and Horses with MERS-CoV Does Not Result in Productive Viral Shedding. Viruses, 8(8), 230. https://doi.org/10.3390/v8080230

Publication

Viruses
ISSN: 1999-4915
NlmUniqueID: 101509722
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 8
Issue: 8
PII: 230

Researcher Affiliations

Adney, Danielle R
  • Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA. danielle.adney@colostate.edu.
Brown, Vienna R
  • Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA. vienna.brown@colostate.edu.
Porter, Stephanie M
  • Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. stephanie.porter@colostate.edu.
Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle
  • School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia. h.bielefeldtohmann1@uq.edu.au.
Hartwig, Airn E
  • Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. airn.hartwig@colostate.edu.
Bowen, Richard A
  • Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA. Richard.Bowen@colostate.edu.
  • Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Richard.Bowen@colostate.edu.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Coronavirus Infections / veterinary
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • Goats
  • Horses
  • Host Specificity
  • Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus / physiology
  • Sheep
  • Virus Shedding

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