Low dose inocula of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant transmits more efficiently than earlier variants in hamsters

Bobo Wing Yee Mok; Honglian Liu; Shaofeng Deng; Jiayan Liu; Anna Jinxia Zhang; Siu Ying Lau; Siwen Liu; Rachel Chun Yee Tam; Conor J. Cremin; Timothy Ting Leung Ng; Jake Siu Lun Leung; Lam Kwong Lee; Pui Wang; Kelvin Kai Wang To; Jasper Fuk Woo Chan; Kwok Hung Chan; Kwok Yung Yuen; Gilman Kit Hang Siu; Honglin Chen

doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02640-x

Low dose inocula of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant transmits more efficiently than earlier variants in hamsters

Bobo Wing Yee Mok, Honglian Liu, Shaofeng Deng, Jiayan Liu, Anna Jinxia Zhang, Siu Ying Lau, Siwen Liu, Rachel Chun Yee Tam, Conor J. Cremin, Timothy Ting Leung Ng, Jake Siu Lun Leung, Lam Kwong Lee, Pui Wang, Kelvin Kai Wang To, Jasper Fuk Woo Chan, Kwok Hung Chan, Kwok Yung Yuen, Gilman Kit Hang Siu, Honglin Chen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been shown to rapidly replace original circulating strains in humans soon after they emerged. There is a lack of experimental evidence to explain how these natural occurring variants spread more efficiently than existing strains of SARS-CoV-2 in transmission. We found that the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) increased competitive fitness over earlier parental D614G lineages in in-vitro and in-vivo systems. Using hamster transmission model, we further demonstrated that the Alpha variant is able to replicate and shed more efficiently in the nasal cavity of hamsters than other variants with low dose and short duration of exposure. The capability to initiate effective infection with low inocula may be one of the key factors leading to the rapid transmission of emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2.

Original language	English
Article number	1102
Journal	Communications Biology
Volume	4
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02640-x
Publication status	Published - Dec 2021
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Medicine (miscellaneous)
General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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Mok, B. W. Y., Liu, H., Deng, S., Liu, J., Zhang, A. J., Lau, S. Y., Liu, S., Tam, R. C. Y., Cremin, C. J., Ng, T. T. L., Leung, J. S. L., Lee, L. K., Wang, P., To, K. K. W., Chan, J. F. W., Chan, K. H., Yuen, K. Y., Siu, G. K. H., & Chen, H. (2021). Low dose inocula of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant transmits more efficiently than earlier variants in hamsters. Communications Biology, 4(1), Article 1102. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02640-x

Mok, BWY, Liu, H, Deng, S, Liu, J, Zhang, AJ, Lau, SY, Liu, S, Tam, RCY, Cremin, CJ, Ng, TTL, Leung, JSL, Lee, LK, Wang, P, To, KKW, Chan, JFW, Chan, KH, Yuen, KY, Siu, GKH & Chen, H 2021, 'Low dose inocula of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant transmits more efficiently than earlier variants in hamsters', Communications Biology, vol. 4, no. 1, 1102. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02640-x

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abstract = "Emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been shown to rapidly replace original circulating strains in humans soon after they emerged. There is a lack of experimental evidence to explain how these natural occurring variants spread more efficiently than existing strains of SARS-CoV-2 in transmission. We found that the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) increased competitive fitness over earlier parental D614G lineages in in-vitro and in-vivo systems. Using hamster transmission model, we further demonstrated that the Alpha variant is able to replicate and shed more efficiently in the nasal cavity of hamsters than other variants with low dose and short duration of exposure. The capability to initiate effective infection with low inocula may be one of the key factors leading to the rapid transmission of emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2.",

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AU - Zhang, Anna Jinxia

AU - Lau, Siu Ying

AU - Liu, Siwen

AU - Tam, Rachel Chun Yee

AU - Cremin, Conor J.

AU - Ng, Timothy Ting Leung

AU - Leung, Jake Siu Lun

AU - Lee, Lam Kwong

AU - Wang, Pui

AU - To, Kelvin Kai Wang

AU - Chan, Jasper Fuk Woo

AU - Chan, Kwok Hung

AU - Yuen, Kwok Yung

AU - Siu, Gilman Kit Hang

AU - Chen, Honglin

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AB - Emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been shown to rapidly replace original circulating strains in humans soon after they emerged. There is a lack of experimental evidence to explain how these natural occurring variants spread more efficiently than existing strains of SARS-CoV-2 in transmission. We found that the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) increased competitive fitness over earlier parental D614G lineages in in-vitro and in-vivo systems. Using hamster transmission model, we further demonstrated that the Alpha variant is able to replicate and shed more efficiently in the nasal cavity of hamsters than other variants with low dose and short duration of exposure. The capability to initiate effective infection with low inocula may be one of the key factors leading to the rapid transmission of emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2.

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Low dose inocula of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant transmits more efficiently than earlier variants in hamsters

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

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