Characterization of bronchiolitis and vaccine-induced enhanced respiratory disease in Syrian hamsters caused by respiratory syncytial virus infection

This dataset comprises experimental records from a controlled laboratory study of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) , and induced enhanced respiratory disease (ERD)following immunization with heat-inactivated RSV (HI-RSV). Data on RSV infection were collected from three age groups (neonatal: 3 days old; adult: 6–8 weeks old; old: 70–80 weeks old), with 5–6 animals in each group. Data on immunization were collected from old hamsters immunized with HI-RSV (HI-RSV), heated non-infected Hep-2 cell lysate (mock), or aluminium adjuvant with PBS (PBS), before infection with RSV (5–6 animals in each group). Additionally, 70–80-week-old BALB/c mice and 6–8-week-old cotton rats were infected with RSV, and data were obtained from these infections (3-6 animals in each group). The package includes: Clinical indicators: Daily percentage change in body weight and standardised clinical symptom scores (scale 0–3). Viral replication data: Lung viral load quantified by TaqMan probe-based qPCR (standard curve method; copies/μg RNA), Viral titres from lung homogenates (TCID₅₀/g; measured in HEp-2 cells). Haematology: Complete blood counts (CBC) with differentials (WBC, lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils). Histopathology: Semi-quantitative scores (grade 0–4) of lung inflammation, necrosis and peribronchiolar infiltration from haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections. Transcriptome data: gene expression data, differentially expressed genes (DEGs), functional enrichment analyses of DEGs. Primers list: RT-qPCR primer sequences for validating the expression levels of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). All procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Peking Union Medical College (ILAS, PUMC) (LJN-23005). This resource supports research on RSV pathogenesis, age-dependent immune responses, and the evaluation of vaccine efficacy.