Susceptibility of Raccoon Dogs for Experimental SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Freuling, Conrad, Martin; Breithaupt, Angele; Müller, Thomas; Sehl, Julia; Balkema-Buschmann, Anne; Rissmann, Melanie; Klein, Antonia; Wylezich, Claudia; Höper, Dirk; Wernike, Kerstin; Aebischer, Andrea; Hoffmann, Donata; Friedrichs, Virginia; Dorhoi, Anca; Groschup, Martin, H.; Beer, Martin; Mettenleiter, Thomas, C.

doi:10.3201/eid2612.203733

Article Wed Oct 21 2020 CC BY 4.0

refereed

published

Susceptibility of Raccoon Dogs for Experimental SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Freuling, Conrad Martin ; Breithaupt, Angele ; Müller, Thomas ; Sehl, Julia ; Balkema-Buschmann, Anne ; Rissmann, Melanie ; Klein, Antonia ; Wylezich, Claudia ; Höper, Dirk ; Wernike, Kerstin ; Aebischer, Andrea ; Hoffmann, Donata ; Friedrichs, Virginia ; Dorhoi, Anca ; Groschup, Martin H.; Beer, Martin ; Mettenleiter, Thomas C.

Raccoon dogs might have been intermediate hosts for severe acute respiratory syndrome–associated coronavirus in 2002–2004. We demonstrated susceptibility of raccoon dogs to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and transmission to in-contact animals. Infected animals had no signs of illness. Virus replication and tissue lesions occurred in the nasal conchae.