Severity of disease in humanized mice infected with ebola virus or reston virus is associated with magnitude of early viral replication in liver

Abstract

Both Ebola virus (EBOV) and Reston virus (RESTV) cause disease in nonhuman primates, yet only EBOV causes disease in humans. To investigate differences in viral pathogenicity, humanized mice (hu-NSG-SGM3) were inoculated with EBOV or RESTV. Consistent with differences in disease in human infection, pronounced weight loss and markers of hepatic damage and disease were observed exclusively in EBOV-infected mice. Tese abnormalities were associated with signifcantly higher EBOV replication in the liver but not in the spleen, suggesting that in this model, efciency of viral replication in select Thissues early in infection may contribute to differences in viral pathogenicity.