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Biology
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Infectious Diseases in Lagomorphs
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Infectious Diseases in Lagomorphs

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 10127

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ana M. Lopes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIBIO-InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
Interests: RNA viruses; host–pathogen co-evolution; virus recombination; viral evolution; genomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging infectious disease outbreaks are globally increasing, and a cascade of economic and environmental effects impacts our way of life. Rabbits, hares and pikas are important peons in this ecosystem, as they are the prey of many species in the wild, raised for meat in several countries, as well as being kept as pets. While lagomorphs are severaly affected by diseases with bacterial, viral and parasitic origins, they may also act as reservoirs for other diseases, many of them with a non-negligible zoonotic potential. Moreover, infectious diseases have long been considered a major selective force shaping genetic diversity, and lagomorphs are not only important model species for several human diseases, but also a textbook example through which to study host and pathogen factors that define their interactions.

This Special Issue of Biology welcomes submissions of original research articles, short communications and reviews that cover the recent progress on infectious diseases affecting or related to lagomorphs, including, but not limited to epidemiology, host adaptation, pathogen evolution, disease management and control, species conservation and diagnostic methods. This Special Issue aims to increase our understanding of the basis of disease progression and aid in the development of mitigation measures against these harmful pathogens.

Dr. Ana M. Lopes
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bacteriology
  • virology
  • parasitology
  • epidemiology, evolution
  • host–pathogen interactions
  • disease surveillance
  • disease control
  • diagnostic methods
  • reservoir
  • animal model

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1098 KiB  
Article
Comparison of the Impact between Classical and Novel Strains of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease on Wild Rabbit Populations in Spain
by Simone Santoro, Juan Antonio Aguayo-Adán and Carlos Rouco
Biology 2023, 12(5), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12050728 - 16 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1518
Abstract
The outbreaks of two strains of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) (GI.1 and GI.2) in the Iberian Peninsula have caused substantial economic losses in commercial rabbitries and have affected the conservation of rabbit-sensitive predators due to the dramatic decline of their natural populations. However, [...] Read more.
The outbreaks of two strains of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) (GI.1 and GI.2) in the Iberian Peninsula have caused substantial economic losses in commercial rabbitries and have affected the conservation of rabbit-sensitive predators due to the dramatic decline of their natural populations. However, the assessment of the impact of both RHD strains on wild rabbit populations has been limited to a few small-scale studies. Little is known about the overall impact within its native range. In this study, we described and compared the effects of GI.1 and GI.2 countrywide by using time series of hunting bag data widely available across the country and compared their trend during the first eight years after the first outbreak of GI.1 (i.e., 1998) and GI.2 (i.e., 2011), respectively. We used Gaussian generalised additive models (GAM) with the number of hunted rabbits as the response variable and year as the predictor to evaluate the non-linear temporal dynamics of the population at the national and regional community levels. The first GI.1 caused a population decline of around 53%, affecting most Spanish regional communities where the disease occurred. The positive trend observed after GI.1 in Spain ended with the initial outbreak of GI.2, which did not appear to cause a national population decline. In contrast, we found significant variability in the rabbit population trend among regional communities, where some increased, and others decreased. Such a disparity is unlikely to be explained by a single factor; rather, it appears to result from several factors, such as climatic conditions, host resistance improvement, virulence attenuation, or population density. Our study suggests that a national comprehensive hunting bag series could aid in elucidating the differences in the impact of emerging diseases on a large scale. Future research should focus on national longitudinal serological studies to shed light on the immunological status of rabbit populations in different regions to better understand the evolution of RHD strains and the resistance gained by the wild populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Lagomorphs)
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13 pages, 674 KiB  
Article
Molecular Detection of Microsporidia in Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
by Edgar Baz-González, Natalia Martin-Carrillo, Katherine García-Livia, Néstor Abreu-Acosta and Pilar Foronda
Biology 2022, 11(12), 1796; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11121796 - 10 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2746
Abstract
Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon spp. are microsporidia with zoonotic potential that have been identified in humans, as well as in a large group of wild and domestic animals. Several wildlife species have been studied as reservoirs of zoonotic microsporidia in mainland Spain, including [...] Read more.
Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon spp. are microsporidia with zoonotic potential that have been identified in humans, as well as in a large group of wild and domestic animals. Several wildlife species have been studied as reservoirs of zoonotic microsporidia in mainland Spain, including the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Due to a lack of data on microsporidia infection in wildlife on the Canary Islands, the aim of this work was to analyze the prevalence and identify the species of microsporidia in rabbits in Tenerife. Between 2015 and 2017, a total of 50 fecal samples were collected from rabbits in eight municipalities of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Seven of the fifty samples (14%) were amplified using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the partial sequence of the 16S rRNA gene, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and the partial sequence of the 5.8S rRNA gene. Sanger sequencing reveals the presence of Encephalitozoon cuniculi genotype I in two samples (4%), and undescribed microsporidia species in five samples (10%). This study constitutes the first molecular detection and genotyping of E. cuniculi in rabbits in Spain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Lagomorphs)
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10 pages, 1701 KiB  
Article
Development and Evaluation of a Duplex Lateral Flow Assay for the Detection and Differentiation between Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus Lagovirus europaeus/GI.1 and /GI.2
by Alba Fresco-Taboada, Mercedes Montón, Istar Tapia, Elena Soria, Juan Bárcena, Cécile Guillou-Cloarec, Ghislaine Le Gall-Reculé, Esther Blanco and Paloma Rueda
Biology 2022, 11(3), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11030401 - 5 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2044
Abstract
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2, recently named Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2) was first reported in France in 2010 and has spread globally since then, replacing most of the circulating former RHDV (genotype GI.1) in many countries. The detection and differentiation of both genotypes [...] Read more.
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2, recently named Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2) was first reported in France in 2010 and has spread globally since then, replacing most of the circulating former RHDV (genotype GI.1) in many countries. The detection and differentiation of both genotypes is of crucial importance for the surveillance of the disease. In this article, a duplex lateral flow assay (LFA) for antigen detection is described and evaluated, providing the first description of a quick and easy-to-use test that allows for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of RHDV genotypes GI.1 and GI.2. A panel of GI.1- or GI.2-infected and non-infected rabbit liver samples and liver exudates (136 samples) was analysed, obtaining a total sensitivity of 94.4% and specificity of 100%. These data confirm that the developed duplex LFA can be used as a reliable diagnostic test for RHD surveillance, especially in farms and the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Lagomorphs)
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8 pages, 932 KiB  
Communication
Multiple Introductions of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 in Africa
by Faten Ben Chehida, Ana M. Lopes, João V. Côrte-Real, Soufien Sghaier, Rim Aouini, Lilia Messadi and Joana Abrantes
Biology 2021, 10(9), 883; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10090883 - 8 Sep 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2471
Abstract
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) causes high mortality and morbidity in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In Africa, the presence of the causative agent, the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), was first confirmed in 1992 (genotype Lagovirus europaeus/GI.1). In 2015, the new [...] Read more.
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) causes high mortality and morbidity in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In Africa, the presence of the causative agent, the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), was first confirmed in 1992 (genotype Lagovirus europaeus/GI.1). In 2015, the new genotype Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 (RHDV2/b) was detected in Tunisia. Currently, GI.2 strains are present in several North and Sub-Saharan African countries. Considerable economic losses have been observed in industrial and traditional African rabbitries due to RHDV. Like other RNA viruses, this virus presents high recombination rates, with the emergence of GI.2 being associated with a recombinant strain. Recombination events have been detected with both pathogenic (GI.1b and GII.1) and benign (GI.3 and GI.4) strains. We obtained complete genome sequences of Tunisian GI.2 strains collected between 2018 and 2020 and carried out phylogenetic analyses. The results revealed that Tunisian strains are GI.3P-GI.2 strains that were most likely introduced from Europe. In addition, the results support the occurrence of multiple introductions of GI.2 into Africa, stressing the need for characterizing complete genome sequences of the circulating lagoviruses to uncover their origin. Continued monitoring and control of rabbit trade will grant a better containment of the disease and reduce the disease-associated economic losses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Lagomorphs)
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