The Pathogenicity of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in hACE2 Transgenic Mice

2019-nCoV caused pneumonia cases in China has become a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). The first priority for prevention and treatment of the disease is to find the pathogenicity of 2019-nCoV in vivo. Weight loss and virus replication were detected in infected-hACE2 mice. The typical histopathology was interstitial pneumonia with significant inflammatory cells infiltration around the bronchioles and blood vessels, and viral antigens were observed in bronchial epithelial cells and alveolar epithelial cells. The phenomenon was not found in wild type mice infected with 2019-nCoV and the mock-infected hACE2 mice. The pathogenicity of 2019-nCoV in hACE2 mice was clarified and the Koch9s postulates was fulfilled as well, and the model may facilitate the development of therapeutics and vaccines against 2019-nCoV.