Roborovski hamster <i>(Phodopus roborovskii)</i> strain SH101 as a systemic infection model of SARS-CoV-2
Chongkai Zhai, Mingda Wang, Hea‐Jong Chung, Md. Mehedi Hassan, Seungkoo Lee, Hyeon‐Jin Kim, Seong‐Tshool Hong
Abstract
, displayed most symptoms of systemic infection upon SARS-CoV-2 infection as in the case of the human counterpart, unlike current COVID-19 animal models. Roborovski hamster strain SH101 post-infection of SARS-CoV-2 represented most clinical symptoms of COVID-19 such as snuffling, labored breathing, dyspnea, cough, hunched posture, progressive weight loss, ruffled fur, and high fever following shaking chills. Histological examinations also revealed initial right-predominated pneumonia as well as slight organ damages in the brain and liver, manifesting systemic COVID-19 cases. Considering the merit of a small animal as well as its clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection in human, this hamster model seems to provide an ideal tool to investigate COVID-19.