Research
[Clinical Infectious Disease] SARS-CoV-2 infects and damages the mature and immature olfactory sensory neurons of hamsters
Clinical Infectious Disease, 15 July 2020
Zhang AJ, Lee AC, Chu H, Chan JF, Fan Z, Li C, Liu F, Chen Y, Yuan S, Poon VK, Chan CC, Cai JP, Wu KL, Sridhar S, Chan YS, Yuen KY
Highlights:
- Investigated the location for the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 from the olfactory epithelium (OE) of the nasopharynx to the olfactory bulb of golden Syrian hamsters.
- Besides acute inflammation at OE, infection of mature and immature olfactory neurons, and the supporting sustentacular cells by SARS-CoV-2 may contribute to the unique olfactory dysfunction of COVID-19 which is not reported with SARS-CoV.