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Modeling Within-Host Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Case Study in Ferrets

Journal Article · · Viruses
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/v13081635· OSTI ID:1825455

The pre-clinical development of antiviral agents involves experimental trials in animals and ferrets as an animal model for the study of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we used mathematical models and experimental data to characterize the within-host infection dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in ferrets. We also performed a global sensitivity analysis of model parameters impacting the characteristics of the viral infection. We provide estimates of the viral dynamic parameters in ferrets, such as the infection rate, the virus production rate, the infectious virus proportion, the infected cell death rate, the virus clearance rate, as well as other related characteristics, including the basic reproduction number, pre-peak infectious viral growth rate, post-peak infectious viral decay rate, pre-peak infectious viral doubling time, post-peak infectious virus half-life, and the target cell loss in the respiratory tract. These parameters and indices are not significantly different between animals infected with viral strains isolated from the environment and isolated from human hosts, indicating a potential for transmission from fomites. While the infection period in ferrets is relatively short, the similarity observed between our results and previous results in humans supports that ferrets can be an appropriate animal model for SARS-CoV-2 dynamics-related studies, and our estimates provide helpful information for such studies.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Institutes of Health (NIH); USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1825455
Report Number(s):
LA-UR--21-25832
Journal Information:
Viruses, Journal Name: Viruses Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 13; ISSN 1999-4915
Publisher:
MDPICopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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