Hamster study evaluates airborne and fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-
2
Findings support efforts to reduce SARS-CoV-2 indoor airborne
transmission

Date:
August 17, 2021
Source:
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Summary:
Scientists studying SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have
defined in Syrian hamsters how different routes of virus exposure
are linked to disease severity. Their study details the efficiency
of airborne transmission between hamsters and examines how the virus
replicates and causes disease throughout the respiratory system.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== National Institutes of Health scientists studying SARS-CoV-2, the virus
that causes COVID-19, have defined in Syrian hamsters how different
routes of virus exposure are linked to disease severity. Their study,
published in Nature Communications, details the efficiency of airborne transmission between hamsters and examines how the virus replicates
and causes disease throughout the respiratory system. Their work also
shows that virus transmission via fomites -- exposure from contaminated
surface contact -- is markedly less efficient than airborne transmission
but does occur.


========================================================================== Scientists from NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases conducted the experiments at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in
Hamilton, Montana.

To investigate how different routes of exposure affected disease
development, the scientists exposed hamsters to SARS-CoV-2 via both
aerosols and fomites.

For aerosol exposure, the scientists used equipment that controlled the
size of virus-loaded droplets. For fomite exposure, they placed a dish contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 in the animal cages.

The scientists found that aerosol exposure directly deposited SARS-CoV-2
deep into the lungs, whereas fomite exposure resulted in initial virus replication in the nose. Regardless of exposure route, animals had
SARS-CoV-2 replicating in the lungs, but lung damage was more severe in aerosol-exposed animals compared to the fomite group.

A second part of the study compared animal-to-animal transmission
of the virus through the air and in contaminated cage environments
(fomites). Airborne transmission was markedly more efficient compared
to fomite transmission, suggesting that airborne droplets are a key
SARS-CoV-2 transmission route. An additional experiment, using air
flowing from infected to uninfected animals, supported the finding:
Reversing the airflow from uninfected to infected animals greatly reduced transmission efficiency.

The findings support public health guidance focused on interventions
to reduce indoor airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. These efforts
include masking, increasing air filtration and social distancing, as
well as handwashing and regular surface disinfection, particularly in
clinical settings.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by NIH/National_Institute_of_Allergy_and_Infectious Diseases. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Julia R. Port, Claude Kwe Yinda, Irene Offei Owusu, Myndi Holbrook,
Robert Fischer, Trenton Bushmaker, Victoria A. Avanzato, Jonathan E.

Schulz, Craig Martens, Neeltje van Doremalen, Chad S. Clancy,
Vincent J.

Munster. SARS-CoV-2 disease severity and transmission efficiency
is increased for airborne compared to fomite exposure in Syrian
hamsters.

Nature Communications, 2021; 12 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25156-8 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210817104351.htm

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