The Pathogenicity of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in hACE2 Transgenic Mice

24 2019-nCoV caused pneumonia cases in China has become a public health emergency of 25 international concern (PHEIC). The first priority for prevention and treatment of the 26 disease is to find the pathogenicity of 2019-nCoV in vivo. Weight loss and virus replication 27 were detected in infected-hACE2 mice. The typical histopathology was interstitial 28 pneumonia with significant inflammatory cells infiltration around the bronchioles and 29 blood vessels, and viral antigens were observed in bronchial epithelial cells and alveolar 30 epithelial cells. The phenomenon was not found in wild type mice infected with 201931 nCoV and the mock-infected hACE2 mice. The pathogenicity of 2019-nCoV in hACE2 32 mice was clarified and the Koch's postulates was fulfilled as well, and the model may 33 facilitate the development of therapeutics and vaccines against 2019-nCoV. 34 35 (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. The copyright holder for this preprint this version posted February 11, 2020. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.07.939389 doi: bioRxiv preprint