SARS-CoV-2 variants retain high airborne transmissibility by different strategies
Abstract SARS-CoV-2 variants evolve to balance immune evasion and airborne transmission, yet the mechanisms remain unclear. In hamsters, first-wave, Alpha, and Delta variants transmitted efficiently via aerosols. Alpha emitted fewer viral particles than first-wave virus but compensated with a lower...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | npj Viruses |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44298-025-00120-1 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850204050678611968 |
|---|---|
| author | Jie Zhou Ksenia Sukhova Rebecca Frise Laury Baillon Jonathan C. Brown Thomas P. Peacock Wilhelm Furnon Vanessa M. Cowton Arvind H. Patel Massimo Palmarini Wendy S. Barclay |
| author_facet | Jie Zhou Ksenia Sukhova Rebecca Frise Laury Baillon Jonathan C. Brown Thomas P. Peacock Wilhelm Furnon Vanessa M. Cowton Arvind H. Patel Massimo Palmarini Wendy S. Barclay |
| author_sort | Jie Zhou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract SARS-CoV-2 variants evolve to balance immune evasion and airborne transmission, yet the mechanisms remain unclear. In hamsters, first-wave, Alpha, and Delta variants transmitted efficiently via aerosols. Alpha emitted fewer viral particles than first-wave virus but compensated with a lower infectious dose (ID50). Delta exhibited higher airborne emission but required a higher ID50. A fall in airborne emission of infectious Delta virus over time after infection correlated with a decrease in its infectivity to RNA ratio in nasal wash and a decrease in contagiousness to sentinel animals. Omicron subvariants (BA.1, EG.5.1, BA.2.86, JN.1) displayed varying levels of airborne transmissibility, partially correlated with airborne emissions. Mutations in the non-spike genes contributed to reduced airborne transmissibility, since recombinant viruses with spike genes of BA.1 or JN.1 and non-spike genes from first-wave virus are more efficiently transmitted between hamsters. These findings reveal distinct viral strategies for maintaining airborne transmission. Early assessment of ID50 and aerosolized viral load may help predict transmissibility of emerging variants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1a16432bf0ba4b4f89f52285aad70ca8 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2948-1767 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Viruses |
| spelling | doaj-art-1a16432bf0ba4b4f89f52285aad70ca82025-08-20T02:11:22ZengNature Portfolionpj Viruses2948-17672025-05-01311910.1038/s44298-025-00120-1SARS-CoV-2 variants retain high airborne transmissibility by different strategiesJie Zhou0Ksenia Sukhova1Rebecca Frise2Laury Baillon3Jonathan C. Brown4Thomas P. Peacock5Wilhelm Furnon6Vanessa M. Cowton7Arvind H. Patel8Massimo Palmarini9Wendy S. Barclay10Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College LondonMRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchMRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchMRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchMRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College LondonAbstract SARS-CoV-2 variants evolve to balance immune evasion and airborne transmission, yet the mechanisms remain unclear. In hamsters, first-wave, Alpha, and Delta variants transmitted efficiently via aerosols. Alpha emitted fewer viral particles than first-wave virus but compensated with a lower infectious dose (ID50). Delta exhibited higher airborne emission but required a higher ID50. A fall in airborne emission of infectious Delta virus over time after infection correlated with a decrease in its infectivity to RNA ratio in nasal wash and a decrease in contagiousness to sentinel animals. Omicron subvariants (BA.1, EG.5.1, BA.2.86, JN.1) displayed varying levels of airborne transmissibility, partially correlated with airborne emissions. Mutations in the non-spike genes contributed to reduced airborne transmissibility, since recombinant viruses with spike genes of BA.1 or JN.1 and non-spike genes from first-wave virus are more efficiently transmitted between hamsters. These findings reveal distinct viral strategies for maintaining airborne transmission. Early assessment of ID50 and aerosolized viral load may help predict transmissibility of emerging variants.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44298-025-00120-1 |
| spellingShingle | Jie Zhou Ksenia Sukhova Rebecca Frise Laury Baillon Jonathan C. Brown Thomas P. Peacock Wilhelm Furnon Vanessa M. Cowton Arvind H. Patel Massimo Palmarini Wendy S. Barclay SARS-CoV-2 variants retain high airborne transmissibility by different strategies npj Viruses |
| title | SARS-CoV-2 variants retain high airborne transmissibility by different strategies |
| title_full | SARS-CoV-2 variants retain high airborne transmissibility by different strategies |
| title_fullStr | SARS-CoV-2 variants retain high airborne transmissibility by different strategies |
| title_full_unstemmed | SARS-CoV-2 variants retain high airborne transmissibility by different strategies |
| title_short | SARS-CoV-2 variants retain high airborne transmissibility by different strategies |
| title_sort | sars cov 2 variants retain high airborne transmissibility by different strategies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44298-025-00120-1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jiezhou sarscov2variantsretainhighairbornetransmissibilitybydifferentstrategies AT kseniasukhova sarscov2variantsretainhighairbornetransmissibilitybydifferentstrategies AT rebeccafrise sarscov2variantsretainhighairbornetransmissibilitybydifferentstrategies AT laurybaillon sarscov2variantsretainhighairbornetransmissibilitybydifferentstrategies AT jonathancbrown sarscov2variantsretainhighairbornetransmissibilitybydifferentstrategies AT thomasppeacock sarscov2variantsretainhighairbornetransmissibilitybydifferentstrategies AT wilhelmfurnon sarscov2variantsretainhighairbornetransmissibilitybydifferentstrategies AT vanessamcowton sarscov2variantsretainhighairbornetransmissibilitybydifferentstrategies AT arvindhpatel sarscov2variantsretainhighairbornetransmissibilitybydifferentstrategies AT massimopalmarini sarscov2variantsretainhighairbornetransmissibilitybydifferentstrategies AT wendysbarclay sarscov2variantsretainhighairbornetransmissibilitybydifferentstrategies |