Interferon and ribavirin treatment in a rhesus macaque model of novel Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection (hCoV-EMC). Macaca mulatta

Microarray analysis of lungs (right lower lobe) on day 3 post-infection with MERS-CoV with and without treatment beginning 8 h post-infection with intravenous type I interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV). Dosages are as follows: IFN a2b 5 million IU/kg s.c. q8, RBV loading dose 30mg/kg i.v.; Maintenance doses: IFN 5 MIU/kg s.c. q16; RBV, 10mg/kg i.m. q8. Overall design: Six 4-6 year-old rhesus macaques were infected with 7x10e6 TCID50 total (4x10e6 intratracheal, 1x10e6 oral, 1x10e6 intranasal, 1x10e6 intraocular). Treatment was initiated at 8h post-infection with intravenous type I interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV). Dosages are as follows: IFN a2b 5 million IU/kg s.c., RBV loading dose 30mg/kg i.v.; Maintenance doses: IFN 5 MIU/kg s.c. q16; RBV, 10mg/kg i.m. q8. Three animals received IFN-a2b and ribavirin, while 3 animals received mock treatments with comprable volumes of saline delivered in the same routes. On day 3 post-infection animals were necropsied and lower right lung tissue gene expression was analyzed by microarray.