Sensitivity of rodents to SARS-CoV-2: Gerbils are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, but guinea pigs are not.

Syrian hamster are sensitive to SARS-CoV-2 and widely used as an animal model of COVID-19. In contrast, mice are not readily infected by the ancestral strains of SARS-CoV-2 because of differences in their angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors. Thus, even among rodents, susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 varies. Knowledge of virus transmissibility from humans to pet rodents is important for public health to assess the potential for transmission in the home and pet breeding and selling facilities. In this study, we assessed the sensitivity of guinea pigs and gerbils to SARS-CoV-2 isolated from humans, and found that gerbils are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, but guinea pigs are not. Pet sellers often display hamsters with high susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 in the same area as gerbils, so caution should be exercised during COVID-19 outbreaks.