My scientific research team reveals the mechanism of transmission of new coronavirus from mink to human

  Science and Technology Daily, Harbin, December 10 (Reporter Li Liyun) At present, there are cases of mink spreading the new crown virus to humans in Europe and America, and nearly 20 million minks have been culled.

So, how did the mink spread the new coronavirus to humans?

Recently, "National Science Review" published an online research paper "Research on the Replication, Pathogenicity and Transmission Ability of New Coronavirus in Mink" led by the Buzhigao team of Harbin Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, explaining the spread of new coronavirus in mink to humans The mechanism behind.

  After the researchers used the new coronavirus strain isolated from humans to infect the mink in the nasal cavity, they found that the virus can replicate at high levels in the mink’s nasal cavity and lungs, and cause pathological damage in the mink’s upper and lower respiratory tracts that are very similar to those of people infected with the new coronavirus. Including thrombosis in the lungs.

More importantly, they found that the new coronavirus can be efficiently transmitted through respiratory droplets between minks.

  The study further proved that the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 S protein vaccine can successfully prevent lung damage in mink.

The study believes that mink is the best animal model to simulate human infection with the new coronavirus.

In addition, the researchers used the new coronavirus spike protein (S protein) to develop a subunit vaccine. After immunizing the mink with this vaccine, the new coronavirus was used to attack the unimmunized control mink. Severe pneumonia pathological changes occurred in the immunized mink. After the attack, there was no obvious disease in the lungs, and no viral antigens were detected, and the immunized mink could no longer spread the virus to those in contact with it.

  The research results provide important guidance for the practice of prevention and control of new coronavirus in mink, and prove that vaccine immunization can block the spread of new coronavirus, and provide more ideal new animal infections for research on new coronavirus infection and pathogenic mechanism, prevention and treatment of vaccines and drug development The model also provides important anti-epidemic scientific and technological support for the mink industry in Europe and America, which has been devastated by the new crown pneumonia epidemic, and the mink industry in my country.

  The research was completed by the cooperation of Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Xiamen University School of Public Health and National Engineering Research Center for Veterinary Medicines.

Shuai Lei, Zhong Gongxun, Wen Zhiyuan, Wang Chong, He Xijun, and Yuan Quan are the co-first authors of the paper, and Bu Zhigao and Chen Hualan are co-corresponding authors.

The research was funded by the national key research and development project and the applied technology research and development project of Heilongjiang Province.