Table 1.
Evidences in animal studies of Ebolavirus (EBOV) infection and pathogenesis in the respiratory system.
| Year | Animal | Virus (Co-Infection; Provenance) |
Analyzed Tissue | Route of Inoculation | Pathological Findings | Clinical Signs | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) | RESTV (co-infection with SHFV; Philippines) | Plasma, Sera, tissues | Natural infection | Enlarged spleens and kidneys | Anorexia, cough, nasal exudates, swollen eyelids | Jahrling PB, et al., Lancet 1990 [31] |
| 2008 | Domestic swine | RESTV (co-infection with PRRSV and PCV-2; Philippines) | Plasma, sera, tissues (lymph nodes) | Natural infection | RESTV isolation from lung and lymph nodes | Severe respiratory disease syndrome, interstitial pneumonia | Barrette RW, et al., Science 2009 [32] |
| 2011 | Domestic pigs | RESTV (Philippines swine isolate) | Blood, swabs, tissues | Challenge by subcutaneous and oral routes | RESTV isolation from superficial (submandibular, axillary, inguinal) and internal (bronchial, mesenteric) lymph nodes, nasal turbinates, muscle, and lung | Mild acute rhinitis Acute bronchopneumonia | Marsh GA, et al., JID 2011 [33] |
| 2014 | Domestic pigs | RESTV (co-infection with PRRSV, China) | Spleen | Natural infection | Positive for RESTV RT-PCR | Typical clinical signs of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome | Pan Y, et al., Arch Virol 2014 [34] |
| 1995 | Monkeys (Macaca mulatta) | EBOV (EBOV isolate) | Plasma, tissues | Aerosol exposure | Bronchial and bronchiolar epithelium, alveolar pneumocytes, and alveolar macrophages showed positive EBOV antigen staining |
Typical signs of EVD. Serosanguineous nasal discharge, subcutaneous haemorrhage |
Johnson E et al., Int. J. Exp. Path. 1995 [35] |
| 2010 | Domesticated Landrace pigs | EBOV (EBOV strain Kikwit 95) | Blood, tissues | Intranasal, intraocular and oral routes | Macroscopic pathological changes in lungs. Abundant viral antigen detection in lungs | Most prominent and progressive clinical signs were respiratory | Kobinger G, et al., J Infect Dis 2011 [36] |
| 2012 | Pigs (breed Landrace) and cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) | EBOV (EBOV strain Kikwit 95) | Blood, tissues | Oro-nasal inoculation of the pigs. Macaques in close contact with the pigs to evaluate aerosol transmission | Pigs: viral antigens in bronchioles Macaques: EBOV antigen in alveolar, septal macrophages, pneumocytes and endothelial cells |
Pigs: broncho-interstitial pneumonia with a lobular pattern Macaques: typical signs of EBOV infection, with damages mainly to the lung and liver |
Weingartl HM et al., Sci Rep. 2012 [37] |
| 2013 | Domesticated Landrace pigs | EBOV (EBOV strain kikwit 95) | Blood, tissues | Intranasal, intraocular and oral routes | Pneumonia, distributed primarily in the dorso-caudal lobes, characterized by consolidation and haemorrhage affecting more than 70% of the lung tissue | Typical signs of EBOV infection. An increase in respiratory rate as well as difficult, abdominal breathing, inappetence, weakness and reluctance to move | Nfon CK, et al., Plos One 2013 [38] |
| – | Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) | EBOV (EBOV strain from Zaire 95) | Blood, set of tissues from all major organs | Aerosol exposure | Histologic changes within the lungs included alveolar histiocytosis, alveolar fibrin, and multifocal fibrinoid vasculitis | Typical signs of EBOV infection | Twenhalfel NA, et al., Vet Path 2013 [39] |
PRRSV—Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus, SHFV—Simian Haemorrhagic Fever Virus, PCV-2—Porcine Circovirus Type 2, RESTV—Reston Ebolavirus, EBOV—Ebola virus.