SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 are transmitted through the air between ferrets over more than one meter distance
Open accessPublished version of a preprint
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 emerged in late 2019 and caused a pandemic, whereas the closely related SARS-CoV was contained rapidly in 2003. Here, an experimental set-up is used to study transmission of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 through the air between ferrets over more than a meter distance. Both viruses cause a robust productive respiratory tract infection resulting in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to two of four indirect recipient ferrets and SARS-CoV to all four. A control pandemic A/H1N1 influenza virus also transmits efficiently. Serological assays confirm all virus transmission events. Although the experiments do not discriminate between transmission via small aerosols, large droplets and fomites, these results demonstrate that SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious while traveling through the air. Efficient virus transmission between ferrets is in agreement with frequent SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in mink farms. Although the evidence for virus transmission via the air between humans under natural conditions is absent or weak for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, ferrets may represent a sensitive model to study interventions aimed at preventing virus transmission.
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Laboratory, field, modelling, and case studies have shown that airborne transmission through inhalation of virus-laden aerosol is important, if not dominant, for COVID-19.
“Laboratory, field, modelling, and case studies have shown that airborne transmission through the inhalation of a virus-laden aerosol is important, if not dominant, for COVID-19.119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132”
From The Lancet Commission on lessons for the future from the COVID-19 pandemic (2022) · cites this paper as [124]
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References 52 · Cited by 176
- Authors
- Kutter, J. S., de Meulder, D., Bestebroer, T. M., Lexmond, P., Mulders, A., Richard, M., Fouchier, R. A. M., & Herfst, S.
- Affiliations
- Erasmus MC (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Herfst, Sander
- Venue
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2021-03-12
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1653-1653
- ISSN
- 2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7955093
- OpenAlex
- W3134034046
- Cited by
- 176
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 59 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 24.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Research Square (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (HHSN272201400008C)
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (91715372)
- EC | Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (731014)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Infection Control and Ventilation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Health Sciences › Dentistry › General Dentistry › Dental Research and COVID-19
- Keywords
- SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, airborne transmission, ferrets, respiratory infections, droplet transmission, fomite transmission, mink farms, serological assays, animal model of COVID-19
- MeSH terms
- Animal Fur, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Viral Zoonoses, Aerosols, Air Microbiology, Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Female, Ferrets, Models, Biological, Orthomyxoviridae Infections, Time Factors, Virus Shedding, Viral Load, Amino Acid Substitution, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus, Fomites, Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype
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