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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Animal models of human cytomegalovirus congenital infection

Helen Farrell
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Chemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Queensland
St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia

B Centre for Children’s Health Research
University of Queensland
South Brisbane, Qld 4101, Australia
Email: h.farrell1@uq.edu.au

Microbiology Australia 36(4) 196-199 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA15068
Published: 20 October 2015

Abstract

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is highly species-specific, which means that it is unable to productively infect laboratory animals. Despite this caveat, studies of animal CMV counterparts in their natural hosts have revealed significant correlations with observed neuropathological effects of congenital HCMV infection and have improved our understanding of host responses to vaccination. The biological relatedness between human and animal CMVs has been confirmed by phylogenetic analyses; the conservation of ‘core' genes that are essential for virus replication as well as genes that contribute similar mechanisms for virus persistence in their respective host species. The common animal models of HCMV congenital infection include Rhesus CMV (RhCMV), guinea-pig CMV (GPCMV) and mouse CMV (MCMV). Whilst animal models of CMV do not fully recapitulate HCMV infection, they each offer specific advantages in understanding HCMV congenital/perinatal infection (summarised in Table 1).


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