Table 1.
Summary of MERS-CoV shedding and presence of virus in different tissues in the potential animal reservoirs for MERS-CoV after experimental inoculation.
| Species | Route and dose of inoculation | MERS-CoV shedding | MERS-CoV RNA in tissues MERS-CoV antigen in tissues |
Infectious MERS-CoV in tissues | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camelids | Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) | IT, IN, conjunctival or IN only; 107 TCID50 | Viral RNA in NS (1 to 13 dpi) Infectious virus in NS (1 to 6 dpi) |
URT, LRT, tracheal LN, pulmonary LN, cervical LN, tonsil, PSG, intestine, liver, spleen, kidney, heart, adrenal Nasal respiratory epithelial cells |
URT, trachea, large bronchus, tracheal LN |
[47], [53] |
| Alpacas (Vicugna pacos) | IN; 107 PFU in 3 mL saline solution | Infectious virus in NS (1 to 5 dpi) | URT, trachea Nasal respiratory epithelial cells |
ND | [48], [49] | |
| Llamas (Lama glama) | IN; 107 TCID50 in 3 mL saline solution | Viral RNA in NS (1 to 15 dpi) Infectious virus in NS (1 to 7 dpi) |
URT, trachea and bronchus Nasal respiratory epithelial cells |
ND | [50] | |
| Non-camelid domestic species | Domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) | IN; 107 TCID50 in 3 mL saline solution | Viral RNA in NS (1 to 10 dpi) Infectious virus in NS (1 to 4 dpi) |
URT, trachea and bronchus Nasal respiratory epithelial cells |
ND | [50] |
| Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) | IN (1 × 106 TCID50), IT (4 × 106 TCID50) | Viral RNA in NS (1 to 10 dpi) Infectious virus in NS (1 to 7 dpi) |
Mainly in URT, LRT Nasal respiratory and bronchiolar epithelial cells |
ND | [54] | |
| NHP | Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) | IT, OC, oral, IN; 7 × 106 TCID50/IT, 6,5 × 107 TCID50 | Viral RNA in NS, BAL samples, and few OS | URT, lung, mediastinal LN Type I and II pneumocytes, alveolar MΦ |
Lung | [21], [22], [23] |
| Common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) | OC, oral, IT, IN; 5 × 106/IT, 5 × 107 TCID50 | Viral RNA in NS and OS | URT, lung, mediastinal LN, blood Type I pneumocytes, alveolar MΦ |
Nasal mucosa, trachea, lung | [24], [55] |
Abbreviations: BAL, bronchoalveolar lavages; dpi, days post inoculation; IN, intranasal; IT, intratracheal; LN, lymph node; LRT, lower respiratory tract; MΦ, macrophages; ND, non-determined; NHP, non-human primates; NS, nasal swabs; OC, ocular; OS, oropharyngeal swabs; PFU, plaque-forming units; PSG, parotid salivary gland; RNA, ribonucleic acid; TCID50, 50% tissue culture infectious dose; URT, upper respiratory tract.