The Upper Respiratory Tract of Felids Is Highly Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Natural or experimental infection of domestic cats and virus transmission from humans to captive predatory cats suggest that felids are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, it is unclear which cells and compartments of the respiratory tract are infected. To address this question, primary cell cultures derived from the nose, trachea, and lungs of cat and lion were inoculated with SARS-CoV-2. Strong viral replication was observed for nasal mucosa explants and tracheal air–liquid interface cultures, whereas replication in lung slices was less efficient. Infection was mainly restricted to epithelial cells and did not cause major pathological changes. Detection of high ACE2 levels in the nose and trachea but not lung further suggests that susceptibility of feline tissues to SARS-CoV-2 correlates with ACE2 expression. Collectively, this study demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 can efficiently replicate in the feline upper respiratory tract ex vivo and thus highlights the risk of SARS-CoV-2 spillover from humans to felids.

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STUDIES ON THE PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES OF THE UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT OF THE PNEUMOCONIOTICS : 1. Clinical Observations on the Nasal Cavity.

Sangyo Igaku ◽

10.1539/joh1959.2.749 ◽

1960 ◽

Vol 2 (9) ◽

pp. 749-757

Author(s):

Ikuhumi HIGUCHI

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Tract ◽

Nasal Cavity ◽

Upper Respiratory Tract ◽

Pathological Changes ◽

Clinical Observations ◽

Upper Respiratory

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Experimental Infection of Domestic Cats with Feline Herpesvirus-1 Strain CH-B Isolated from British Shorthair Cat

10.21203/rs.3.rs-94561/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jiangting Niu ◽

Han Zhao ◽

Shuang Zhang ◽

Yanbing Guo ◽

Qian Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Tract ◽

Experimental Infection ◽

Neuronal Cells ◽

Natural Host ◽

Upper Respiratory Tract ◽

Domestic Cats ◽

Ocular Symptoms ◽

Feline Herpesvirus ◽

Upper Respiratory ◽

Herpesvirus 1

Abstract Background: Feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) is a most common virus that cause viral rhinotracheitis and ocular diseases in domestic cats and wild felids. As other alpha-herpesviruses, acute FHV-1 infection is responsible for severe upper respiratory tract and ocular disease, followed by lifelong latency that persist the limited virus in sensory neuronal cells. While latency reactivation can result in recrudescence, leading sever ocular lesions. Hence, FHV-1 infection in cats can be considered as a good natural host model to study alpha-herpesvirus pathogenesis. Results: In this study, the FHV-1 CH-B was isolated from nasal discharge collected from a British shorthair cat in China, and was further identified via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and genome analysis. Experimental infection of domestic cats with different dose of isolate CH-B, ranging from 104 to 107 TCID50, showed that cats inoculated with 105 TCID50 not only showed typical upper respiratory track and ocular symptoms, but also could copy the progress of disease development. Therefore, the FHV-1 infection model was established by intranasally inoculated with 105 TCID50 of FHV-1 isolate CH-B. Infected cats began to show clinical signs at days 5 post inoculated (dpi), developed severe upper respiratory tract and ocular symptoms at 10-15 dpi, began to recover at 20 dpi, and recovered almost completely by 25 dpi. During acute infection period, virus mainly replicates in turbinate, conjunctiva, cornea and sensory neuronal cells, while virus only persists in trigeminal ganglia (TG) at lifelong latency. Viremia and viral infections in lungs do not appear in FHV-1 CH-B infected cats, with only one exception. We also demonstrate that FHV-1 CH-B infection can induce severe inflammatory responses and lung, trachea, and tonsils tissues damage in cats. In addition, we found that FHV-1 infected cats can shed virus via nasal and ocular discharge, resulting FHV-1 infection in in-contact cats. Conclusions: This natural host model of FHV-1 infection will be valuable for the screen and assessment of antiviral drugs and vaccines, as well as the studies of the pathogenesis of alpha-herpesvirus infection in animals and humans.

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Sinonasal cysts causing dyspnoea in two cattle – case report

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica ◽

10.1556/004.2018.049 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 66 (4) ◽

pp. 553-561

Author(s):

Anna Stanitznig ◽

Karsten Velde ◽

Thomas Wittek ◽

Sonja Franz

Keyword(s):

Veterinary Medicine ◽

Case Report ◽

Respiratory Tract ◽

Respiratory Distress ◽

Clinical Sign ◽

Upper Respiratory Tract ◽

Pathological Changes ◽

Laser Technique ◽

Upper Respiratory ◽

The University

Two cattle were referred to the University Clinic for Ruminants of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. The main clinical sign in both cattle was dyspnoea with nasal stridor. Clinical examination of the upper respiratory tract was conducted, supplemented by ultrasonography, endoscopy and radiography. In addition, histological, bacteriological, and cytological examinations of different specimen materials were performed. The cow of Case 1 suffered from cystic nasal conchae, which was treated successfully by a laser technique. The cow of Case 2 also suffered from cystic nasal conchae. No surgery was performed in this case because the cyst opened spontaneously the day after diagnostic endoscopic procedures had been performed and the animal did not show any respiratory signs anymore. Pathological changes in the upper respiratory tract, such as nasal obstructions, should be included in the list of differential diagnoses in cattle showing respiratory distress.

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Vinegar and Its Active Component Acetic Acid Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Infection In Vitro and Ex Vivo

10.1101/2020.07.08.193193 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Isabel Pagani ◽

Silvia Ghezzi ◽

Massimo Clementi ◽

Guido Poli ◽

Mario Bussi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acetic Acid ◽

Antiviral Activity ◽

Respiratory Tract ◽

Active Component ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Vero Cells ◽

Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽

Upper Respiratory Tract ◽

Upper Respiratory

AbstractEffective and economical measures are needed to either prevent or inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, in the upper respiratory tract. As fumigation of vinegar at low concentration (0.34%) ameliorated the symptoms of mild SARS-CoV-2 infection, we tested in vitro the potential antiviral activity of vinegar and of its active component, acetic acid. We here demonstrate that both vinegar and acetic acid indeed strongly inactivate SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in Vero cells. Furthermore, vinegar treatment caused a 90% inhibition of the infectious titer when directly applied to a nasopharyngeal swab transfer medium of a COVID-19 patient. These effects were potentiated if conduced at a temperature of 45 °C vs. 37 °C, a condition that is transiently generated in the upper respiratory tract during fumigation. Our findings are consistent and extend the results of studies performed in the early and mid-20th century on the disinfectant capacity of organic acids and can provide an affordable home-made aid to prevent or contain SARS-CoV-2 infection of the upper respiratory tract.

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Role of Alveolar Macrophages in Respiratory Transmission of Visna/Maedi Virus

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.02148-07 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 82 (3) ◽

pp. 1526-1536 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Tom N. McNeilly ◽

Alison Baker ◽

Jeremy K. Brown ◽

David Collie ◽

Gerry MacLachlan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Tract ◽

Alveolar Macrophages ◽

Virus Transmission ◽

The Body ◽

Infection Model ◽

Upper Respiratory Tract ◽

Route Of Transmission ◽

Ovine Lentivirus ◽

Upper Respiratory

ABSTRACT A major route of transmission of Visna/maedi virus (VMV), an ovine lentivirus, is thought to be via the respiratory tract, by inhalation of either cell-free or cell-associated virus. In previous studies, we have shown that infection via the lower respiratory tract is much more efficient than via upper respiratory tissues (T. N. McNeilly, P. Tennant, L. Lujan, M. Perez, and G. D. Harkiss, J. Gen. Virol. 88:670-679, 2007). Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are prime candidates for the initial uptake of virus in the lower lung, given their in vivo tropism for VMV, abundant numbers, location within the airways, and role in VMV-induced inflammation. Furthermore, AMs are the most likely cell type involved in the transmission of cell-associated virus. In this study, we use an experimental in vivo infection model that allowed the infection of specific segments of the ovine lung. We demonstrate that resident AMs are capable of VMV uptake in vivo and that this infection is associated with a specific up-regulation of AM granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor mRNA expression (P < 0.05) and an increase in bronchoalveolar lymphocyte numbers (P < 0.05), but not a generalized inflammatory response 7 days postinfection. We also demonstrate that both autologous and heterologous VMV-infected AMs are capable of transmitting virus after lower, but not upper, respiratory tract instillation and that this transfer of virus appears not to involve the direct migration of virus-infected AMs from the airspace. These results suggest that virus is transferred from AMs into the body via an intermediate route. The results also suggest that the inhalation of infected AMs represents an additional mechanism of virus transmission.

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Post-slaughter changes in rabbit carcasses in Poland between 2010 and 2018

Medycyna Weterynaryjna ◽

10.21521/mw.6294 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 75 (10) ◽

pp. 6294-2019

Author(s):

ŁUKASZ DROZD ◽

WALDEMAR PASZKIEWICZ ◽

RENATA PYZ-ŁUKASIK ◽

MONIKA ZIOMEK ◽

KRZYSZTOF SZKUCIK

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Respiratory Tract ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Parasitic Diseases ◽

Upper Respiratory Tract ◽

Pathological Changes ◽

Respiratory Tract Disease ◽

Internal Organs ◽

Upper Respiratory ◽

Tract Disease

The aim of the study was to analyze the results of sanitary and veterinary examinations of rabbits carried out by the Veterinary Inspectorate in slaughterhouses in Poland in 2010-2018. In this period, 8,980,660 rabbits were examined. Lesions and quality deviations were found in 42,779 carcasses, i.e. 0.48% of all carcasses examined. The most frequent causes of the rejection of the carcasses and internal organs of the rabbits examined were sepsis and pyaemia (36,369 cases), followed by excessive emaciation (1,686 cases), upper respiratory tract disease (1,655 cases), other causes not specified by name (1,438 cases), and coccidiosis (1,318 cases). Abnormal exsanguination (303), parasitic diseases other than coccidiosis (67), infectious diseases (14), and leukemia (2) were much less often the cause of rejection. During the period analyzed, there was a decrease in the number of cases of coccidiosis (except in 2017) and other parasitic diseases, but there was a several-fold increase in the occurrence of sepsis and pyaemia (in the years 2015-2018). Compared with the results of veterinary and sanitary examinations of rabbits in 2000-2010, there was an increase in the number of rabbits slaughtered and a reduction in the percentage of carcasses with pathological changes and carcasses deemed unfit for consumption. In the years 2010-2018, there was also an increase in the number of cases of sepsis and pyaemia and a significant decrease in the percentage of parasitic diseases (mainly coccidiosis).

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