Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus experimental transmission using a pig model

Altres ajuts: IMI/115760 Dromedary camels are the main reservoir of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (-CoV), but other livestock species (i.e., alpacas, llamas, and pigs) are also susceptible to infection with -CoV. Animal-to-animal transmission in alpacas was reported, but evidence for transmission in other species has not been proved. This study explored pig-to-pig -CoV transmission experimentally. Virus was present in nasal swabs of infected animals, and limited amounts of viral , but no infectious virus were detected in the direct contact pigs. No virus was detected in the indirect contact group. Furthermore, direct and indirect contact pigs did not develop specific antibodies against -CoV. Therefore, the role of pigs as reservoir is probably negligible, although it deserves further confirmation.