Experimental viral spillover across 25 million year gap in Rodentia reveals limited viral transmission and purifying selection of a picornavirus

ABSTRACT When a virus crosses from one host species to another, the consequences can be devastating. However, animal models to empirically evaluate cross-species transmission can fail to recapitulate natural transmission routes, physiologically relevant doses of pathogens, and population structures of naturally circulating viruses. Here, we present a new model of cross-species transmission where deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) are exposed to the natural virome of pet store mice ( Mus musculus ). Using RNA sequencing, we tracked viral transmission via fecal–oral routes and found the evidence of transmission of murine astroviruses, coronaviruses, and picornaviruses. Deep sequencing of murine kobuvirus revealed tight bottlenecks during transmission and purifying selection that leaves limited diversity present after transmission from Mus to Peromyscus . This work provides a structure for studying viral bottlenecks across species while keeping natural variation of viral populations intact and a high resolution look at within-host dynamics that occur during the initial stages of cross-species viral transmission. IMPORTANCE Viral spillover events can have devastating public health consequences. Tracking cross-species transmission in real-time and evaluating viral evolution during the initial spillover event are useful for understanding how viruses adapt to new hosts. Using our new animal model and next generation sequencing, we develop a framework for understanding intrahost viral evolution and bottleneck events, which are very difficult to study in natural transmission settings.