Vergara-Alert Júlia, van den Brand Judith M A, Widagdo W, Muñoz Marta, Raj Stalin, Schipper Debby, Solanes David, Cordón Ivan, Bensaid Albert, Haagmans Bart L, Segalés Joaquim
Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Feb;23(2):232-240. doi: 10.3201/eid2302.161239. Epub 2017 Feb 15.
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) cases continue to be reported, predominantly in Saudi Arabia and occasionally other countries. Although dromedaries are the main reservoir, other animal species might be susceptible to MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection and potentially serve as reservoirs. To determine whether other animals are potential reservoirs, we inoculated MERS-CoV into llamas, pigs, sheep, and horses and collected nasal and rectal swab samples at various times. The presence of MERS-CoV in the nose of pigs and llamas was confirmed by PCR, titration of infectious virus, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization; seroconversion was detected in animals of both species. Conversely, in sheep and horses, virus-specific antibodies did not develop and no evidence of viral replication in the upper respiratory tract was found. These results prove the susceptibility of llamas and pigs to MERS-CoV infection. Thus, the possibility of MERS-CoV circulation in animals other than dromedaries, such as llamas and pigs, is not negligible.
中东呼吸综合征（MERS）病例仍有报告，主要集中在沙特阿拉伯，其他国家偶尔也有出现。虽然单峰骆驼是主要宿主，但其他动物物种可能易感染中东呼吸综合征冠状病毒（MERS-CoV）并有可能成为宿主。为确定其他动物是否为潜在宿主，我们将MERS-CoV接种到美洲驼、猪、绵羊和马体内，并在不同时间采集鼻拭子和直肠拭子样本。通过聚合酶链反应（PCR）、感染性病毒滴定、免疫组化和原位杂交证实猪和美洲驼的鼻腔中存在MERS-CoV；在这两个物种的动物中均检测到血清转化。相反，在绵羊和马中，未产生病毒特异性抗体，且在上呼吸道未发现病毒复制的证据。这些结果证明美洲驼和猪对MERS-CoV感染易感。因此，MERS-CoV在单峰骆驼以外的其他动物（如美洲驼和猪）中传播的可能性不可忽视。
