Introduce Indian gray mongoose ( Herpestes edwardsii ): as a successful animal model for influenza virus infection (a preliminary study)

Abstract Indian gray mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii) is native to a large geographic area, but there is a lack of data about the biology of this animal. In the present investigation, the possibility of experimental infection with influenza (H1N1) virus in mongoose was studied. Ten H. edwardsii were gathered. Two animals were maintained without inoculation, and others were inoculated by nasal route and then euthanized in different situations. The inoculated group showed clinical signs of pulmonary disorder. Necropsy findings and histopathologic investigation revealed a severe interstitial pneumonia. In the next step, the virus shedding and direct transmission from the infected animal to others were checked. The results showed that virus shedding can occur. To our knowledge, this is the first description of Indian gray mongoose as an animal model for evaluating the experimental influenza virus infection, and it is a successful model for influenza research.
Source: Comparative Clinical Pathology - Category: Pathology Source Type: research