SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant causes mild pathology in the upper and lower respiratory tract of hamsters

Federico Armando; Georg Beythien; Franziska K. Kaiser; Lisa Allnoch; Laura Heydemann; Malgorzata Rosiak; Svenja Becker; Mariana Gonzalez-Hernandez; Mart M. Lamers; Bart L. Haagmans; Kate Guilfoyle; Geert van Amerongen; Malgorzata Ciurkiewicz; Albert D.M.E. Osterhaus; Wolfgang Baumgärtner

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-31200-y

Nature Communications (Jun 2022)

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant causes mild pathology in the upper and lower respiratory tract of hamsters

Federico Armando,
Georg Beythien,
Franziska K. Kaiser,
Lisa Allnoch,
Laura Heydemann,
Malgorzata Rosiak,
Svenja Becker,
Mariana Gonzalez-Hernandez,
Mart M. Lamers,
Bart L. Haagmans,
Kate Guilfoyle,
Geert van Amerongen,
Malgorzata Ciurkiewicz,
Albert D.M.E. Osterhaus,
Wolfgang Baumgärtner

Affiliations

Federico Armando: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation
Georg Beythien: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation
Franziska K. Kaiser: Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation
Lisa Allnoch: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation
Laura Heydemann: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation
Malgorzata Rosiak: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation
Svenja Becker: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation
Mariana Gonzalez-Hernandez: Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation
Mart M. Lamers: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC
Bart L. Haagmans: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC
Kate Guilfoyle: Viroclinics Xplore
Geert van Amerongen: Viroclinics Xplore
Malgorzata Ciurkiewicz: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation
Albert D.M.E. Osterhaus: Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation
Wolfgang Baumgärtner: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31200-y
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 15

Abstract

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Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 several variants of concerns have been identified, with altered disease progression and transmission dynamics. Here, Armando et al. compare virus spread and pathology in the upper and lower respiratory tracts of Syrian golden hamster after 4 days post infection for VOCs Gamma, Delta and Omicron and find milder pathology for Omicron.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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