Rodent adapted marburg viruses are lethal in ferrets

Zachary Schiffman; Lauren Garnett; Kaylie N. Tran; Jonathan Audet; Kevin Tierney; Kim Azaransky; Shihua He; Logan Banadyga; James E. Strong

doi:10.1038/s44298-025-00147-4

Rodent adapted marburg viruses are lethal in ferrets

Zachary Schiffman
, Lauren Garnett
, Kaylie N. Tran
, Jonathan Audet
, Kevin Tierney
, Kim Azaransky
, Shihua He
, Logan Banadyga
, James E. Strong

Microbiology And Immunology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Ferrets are highly susceptible to infection with several orthoebolaviruses, including Ebola virus (EBOV), yet they are refractory to infection with the orthomarburgviruses, Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus. This study sought to investigate the pathogenicity of rodent-adapted MARV in ferrets. Challenge with guinea pig-adapted (GPA)-MARV resulted in uniform lethality among ferrets, whereas challenge with mouse-adapted (MA)-MARV resulted in partial lethality. Ferrets challenged with GPA-MARV manifested clinical signs of filovirus disease, including a petechial rash. These animals supported high levels of viral replication and exhibited coagulation abnormalities exemplified by thrombocytopenia, a feature absent among ferrets challenged with GPA-EBOV. A dysregulated immune response and hematological perturbations were also observed among GPA-MARV-challenged ferrets. Lastly, several genome mutations appeared in GPA-MARV following ferret challenge. This study provides insight into the pathogenesis of MARV and represents the first report and characterization of a lethal Marburg virus ferret model.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	67
Journal	NPJ Viruses
Volume	3
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s44298-025-00147-4
State	Published - Dec 2025

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Immunology and Microbiology (miscellaneous)
Microbiology
Virology

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10.1038/s44298-025-00147-4

Cite this

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title = "Rodent adapted marburg viruses are lethal in ferrets",

abstract = "Ferrets are highly susceptible to infection with several orthoebolaviruses, including Ebola virus (EBOV), yet they are refractory to infection with the orthomarburgviruses, Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus. This study sought to investigate the pathogenicity of rodent-adapted MARV in ferrets. Challenge with guinea pig-adapted (GPA)-MARV resulted in uniform lethality among ferrets, whereas challenge with mouse-adapted (MA)-MARV resulted in partial lethality. Ferrets challenged with GPA-MARV manifested clinical signs of filovirus disease, including a petechial rash. These animals supported high levels of viral replication and exhibited coagulation abnormalities exemplified by thrombocytopenia, a feature absent among ferrets challenged with GPA-EBOV. A dysregulated immune response and hematological perturbations were also observed among GPA-MARV-challenged ferrets. Lastly, several genome mutations appeared in GPA-MARV following ferret challenge. This study provides insight into the pathogenesis of MARV and represents the first report and characterization of a lethal Marburg virus ferret model.",

author = "Zachary Schiffman and Lauren Garnett and Tran, \{Kaylie N.\} and Jonathan Audet and Kevin Tierney and Kim Azaransky and Shihua He and Logan Banadyga and Strong, \{James E.\}",

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doi = "10.1038/s44298-025-00147-4",

language = "English (US)",

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AU - Schiffman, Zachary

AU - Garnett, Lauren

AU - Tran, Kaylie N.

AU - Audet, Jonathan

AU - Tierney, Kevin

AU - Azaransky, Kim

AU - He, Shihua

AU - Banadyga, Logan

AU - Strong, James E.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Ferrets are highly susceptible to infection with several orthoebolaviruses, including Ebola virus (EBOV), yet they are refractory to infection with the orthomarburgviruses, Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus. This study sought to investigate the pathogenicity of rodent-adapted MARV in ferrets. Challenge with guinea pig-adapted (GPA)-MARV resulted in uniform lethality among ferrets, whereas challenge with mouse-adapted (MA)-MARV resulted in partial lethality. Ferrets challenged with GPA-MARV manifested clinical signs of filovirus disease, including a petechial rash. These animals supported high levels of viral replication and exhibited coagulation abnormalities exemplified by thrombocytopenia, a feature absent among ferrets challenged with GPA-EBOV. A dysregulated immune response and hematological perturbations were also observed among GPA-MARV-challenged ferrets. Lastly, several genome mutations appeared in GPA-MARV following ferret challenge. This study provides insight into the pathogenesis of MARV and represents the first report and characterization of a lethal Marburg virus ferret model.

AB - Ferrets are highly susceptible to infection with several orthoebolaviruses, including Ebola virus (EBOV), yet they are refractory to infection with the orthomarburgviruses, Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus. This study sought to investigate the pathogenicity of rodent-adapted MARV in ferrets. Challenge with guinea pig-adapted (GPA)-MARV resulted in uniform lethality among ferrets, whereas challenge with mouse-adapted (MA)-MARV resulted in partial lethality. Ferrets challenged with GPA-MARV manifested clinical signs of filovirus disease, including a petechial rash. These animals supported high levels of viral replication and exhibited coagulation abnormalities exemplified by thrombocytopenia, a feature absent among ferrets challenged with GPA-EBOV. A dysregulated immune response and hematological perturbations were also observed among GPA-MARV-challenged ferrets. Lastly, several genome mutations appeared in GPA-MARV following ferret challenge. This study provides insight into the pathogenesis of MARV and represents the first report and characterization of a lethal Marburg virus ferret model.

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Rodent adapted marburg viruses are lethal in ferrets

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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