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4 pages, 185 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

New Insights into Rabbit Viral Diseases

by Pedro J. Esteves, Joana Abrantes and Ana M. Lopes

Viruses 2024, 16(10), 1521; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16101521 - 26 Sep 2024

Viewed by 1280

Abstract

Viruses are responsible for many devastating rabbit diseases that impact their health and welfare and put their conservation and economic revenue at risk [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rabbit Viral Diseases)

Research

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10 pages, 220 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vaccination against Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2) Using a Baculovirus Recombinant Vaccine Provides Durable Immunity in Rabbits

by Angela M. Bosco-Lauth, Amber Schueler, Edward Midthun, Hailey Tyra, Amanda Held, Claire Hood, Marissa Quilici, Sara Erickson, Sherry Glover, Bradley Gustafson and Gary Anderson

Viruses 2024, 16(4), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16040538 - 30 Mar 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3185

Abstract

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) emerged in the United States in 2018 and has spread in both domestic and wild rabbits nationwide. The virus has a high mortality rate and can spread rapidly once introduced in a rabbit population. Vaccination against RHDV2 [...] Read more.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) emerged in the United States in 2018 and has spread in both domestic and wild rabbits nationwide. The virus has a high mortality rate and can spread rapidly once introduced in a rabbit population. Vaccination against RHDV2 provides the best protection against disease and should be considered by all rabbit owners. Here, we investigate the duration of immunity provided by vaccination with the Medgene Platform conditionally licensed commercial vaccine 6 months following the initial series. Rabbits received either the vaccination or a placebo and were challenged with RHDV2 6 months later. All vaccinated rabbits survived challenge whereas 18/19 non-vaccinated controls succumbed to infection within 10 or fewer days post-challenge. These results demonstrate lasting immunity following vaccination with the Medgene RHDV2 vaccine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rabbit Viral Diseases)

15 pages, 3284 KiB

Open AccessArticle

First Detection and Circulation of RHDV2 in New Zealand

by Robyn N. Hall, Katherine Trought, Tanja Strive, Janine A. Duckworth and Maria Jenckel

Viruses 2024, 16(4), 519; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16040519 - 28 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1560

Abstract

Rabbit haemorrhage disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is a highly pathogenic lagovirus that causes lethal disease in rabbits and hares (lagomorphs). Since its first detection in Europe in 2010, RHDV2 has spread worldwide and has been detected in over 35 countries so far. Here, [...] Read more.

Rabbit haemorrhage disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is a highly pathogenic lagovirus that causes lethal disease in rabbits and hares (lagomorphs). Since its first detection in Europe in 2010, RHDV2 has spread worldwide and has been detected in over 35 countries so far. Here, we provide the first detailed report of the detection and subsequent circulation of RHDV2 in New Zealand. RHDV2 was first detected in New Zealand in 2018, with positive samples retrospectively identified in December 2017. Subsequent time-resolved phylogenetic analysis suggested a single introduction into the North Island between March and November 2016. Genetic analysis identified a GI.3P-GI.2 variant supporting a non-Australian origin for the incursion; however, more accurate identification of the source of the incursion remains challenging due to the wide global distribution of the GI.3P-GI.2 variant. Furthermore, our analysis suggests the spread of the virus between the North and South Islands of New Zealand at least twice, dated to mid-2017 and around 2018. Further phylogenetic analysis also revealed a strong phylogeographic pattern. So far, no recombination events with endemic benign New Zealand rabbit caliciviruses have been identified. This study highlights the need for further research and surveillance to monitor the distribution and diversity of lagoviruses in New Zealand and to detect incursions of novel variants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rabbit Viral Diseases)

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13 pages, 6417 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neglected Spleen Transcriptional Profile Reveals Inflammatory Disorder Conferred by Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 Infection

by Jifeng Yu, Yan Li, Lu Xiao, Jing Xie, Zhiqiang Guo, Yonggang Ye, Yi Lin, Ye Cao, Xuejing Wu, Congjian Mao, Xingyu Li, Meng Pan, Jianqiang Ye, Long Zhou, Jian Huang, Junyan Yang, Yong Wei, Xianhui Zhang, Bin Zhang and Runmin Kang

Viruses 2024, 16(4), 495; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16040495 - 23 Mar 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1791

Abstract

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is an acute fatal disease caused by the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV). Since the first outbreaks of type 2 RHDV (RHDV2) in April 2020 in China, the persistence of this virus in the rabbit population has caused substantial [...] Read more.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is an acute fatal disease caused by the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV). Since the first outbreaks of type 2 RHDV (RHDV2) in April 2020 in China, the persistence of this virus in the rabbit population has caused substantial economic losses in rabbit husbandry. Previous failures in preventing RHDV2 prompted us to further investigate the immune mechanisms underlying the virus’s pathogenicity, particularly concerning the spleen, a vital component of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS). For this, a previous RHDV2 isolate, CHN/SC2020, was utilized to challenge naive adult rabbits. Then, the splenic transcriptome was determined by RNA-Seq. This study showed that the infected adult rabbits had 3148 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which were associated with disease, signal transduction, cellular processes, and cytokine signaling categories. Of these, 100 upregulated DEGs were involved in inflammatory factors such as IL1α, IL-6, and IL-8. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that these DEGs were significantly enriched in the cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction signaling pathway, which may play a vital role in CHN/SC2020 infection. At the same time, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines were significantly increased in the spleen at the late stages of infection. These findings suggested that RHDV2 (CHN/SC2020) might induce dysregulation of the cytokine network and compromise splenic immunity against viral infection, which expanded our understanding of RHDV2 pathogenicity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rabbit Viral Diseases)

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14 pages, 3016 KiB

Open AccessArticle

First Detection of Benign Rabbit Caliciviruses in Chile

by Elena Smertina, Luca M. Keller, Nina Huang, Gabriela Flores-Benner, Jennifer Paola Correa-Cuadros, Melanie Duclos, Fabian M. Jaksic, Cristóbal Briceño, Victor Neira Ramirez, Miguel Díaz-Gacitúa, Sebastián Carrasco-Fernández, Ina L. Smith, Tanja Strive and Maria Jenckel

Viruses 2024, 16(3), 439; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16030439 - 12 Mar 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2241

Abstract

Pathogenic lagoviruses (Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, RHDV) are widely spread across the world and are used in Australia and New Zealand to control populations of feral European rabbits. The spread of the non-pathogenic lagoviruses, e.g., rabbit calicivirus (RCV), is less well studied as [...] Read more.

Pathogenic lagoviruses (Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, RHDV) are widely spread across the world and are used in Australia and New Zealand to control populations of feral European rabbits. The spread of the non-pathogenic lagoviruses, e.g., rabbit calicivirus (RCV), is less well studied as the infection results in no clinical signs. Nonetheless, RCV has important implications for the spread of RHDV and rabbit biocontrol as it can provide varying levels of cross-protection against fatal infection with pathogenic lagoviruses. In Chile, where European rabbits are also an introduced species, myxoma virus was used for localised biocontrol of rabbits in the 1950s. To date, there have been no studies investigating the presence of lagoviruses in the Chilean feral rabbit population. In this study, liver and duodenum rabbit samples from central Chile were tested for the presence of lagoviruses and positive samples were subject to whole RNA sequencing and subsequent data analysis. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a novel RCV variant in duodenal samples that likely originated from European RCVs. Sequencing analysis also detected the presence of a rabbit astrovirus in one of the lagovirus-positive samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rabbit Viral Diseases)

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11 pages, 3190 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification and Characterisation of a Myxoma Virus Detected in the Italian Hare (Lepus corsicanus)

by Elisa Rossini, Moira Bazzucchi, Valter Trocchi, Francesca Merzoni, Cristina Bertasio, Sascha Knauf, Antonio Lavazza and Patrizia Cavadini

Viruses 2024, 16(3), 437; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16030437 - 12 Mar 2024

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3788

Abstract

Myxoma virus (MYXV) is a Leporipoxvirus (genus) belonging to the family Poxviridae; it is characterised by a genome of approximately 161 kb dsDNA encoding for several proteins that play an essential role in both host spectrum determination and immunomodulation. The healthy reservoir of [...] Read more.

Myxoma virus (MYXV) is a Leporipoxvirus (genus) belonging to the family Poxviridae; it is characterised by a genome of approximately 161 kb dsDNA encoding for several proteins that play an essential role in both host spectrum determination and immunomodulation. The healthy reservoir of the virus is Sylvilagus spp. At the same time, in wild and domestic European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), MYXV is the etiologic agent of myxomatosis, a disease with an extremely high mortality rate. In 2014, an interspecies jump of MYXV was reported in Lepus europaeus in the UK. In 2018, myxomatosis induced by a new recombinant strain called MYXV-To was identified during a large outbreak in Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) in Spain. Here, we describe the case of myxomatosis in another hare species: an adult male Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus) found dead in 2018 in Sicily with lesions suggestive of myxomatosis and treponema infection. Laboratory tests, e.g., end-point PCR and negative staining electron microscopy, confirmed the presence of both pathogens. MYXV was then isolated from tissue samples in permissive cells and sequenced using NGS technology. Main genomic differences concerning known MYXV strains are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rabbit Viral Diseases)

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17 pages, 2540 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Utilizing Molecular Epidemiology and Citizen Science for the Surveillance of Lagoviruses in Australia

by Nias Y. G. Peng, Robyn N. Hall, Nina Huang, Peter West, Tarnya E. Cox, Jackie E. Mahar, Hugh Mason, Susan Campbell, Tiffany O’Connor, Andrew J. Read, Kandarp K. Patel, Patrick L. Taggart, Ina L. Smith, Tanja Strive and Maria Jenckel

Viruses 2023, 15(12), 2348; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15122348 - 29 Nov 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2368

Abstract

Australia has multiple lagoviruses with differing pathogenicity. The circulation of these viruses was traditionally determined through opportunistic sampling events. In the lead up to the nationwide release of RHDVa-K5 (GI.1aP-GI.1a) in 2017, an existing citizen science program, RabbitScan, was augmented to allow members [...] Read more.

Australia has multiple lagoviruses with differing pathogenicity. The circulation of these viruses was traditionally determined through opportunistic sampling events. In the lead up to the nationwide release of RHDVa-K5 (GI.1aP-GI.1a) in 2017, an existing citizen science program, RabbitScan, was augmented to allow members of the public to submit samples collected from dead leporids for lagovirus testing. This study describes the information obtained from the increased number of leporid samples received between 2015 and 2022 and focuses on the recent epidemiological interactions and evolutionary trajectory of circulating lagoviruses in Australia between October 2020 and December 2022. A total of 2771 samples were tested from January 2015 to December 2022, of which 1643 were lagovirus-positive. Notable changes in the distribution of lagovirus variants were observed, predominantly in Western Australia, where RHDV2-4c (GI.4cP-GI.2) was detected again in 2021 after initially being reported to be present in 2018. Interestingly, we found evidence that the deliberately released RHDVa-K5 was able to establish and circulate in wild rabbit populations in WA. Overall, the incorporation of citizen science approaches proved to be a cost-efficient method to increase the sampling area and enable an in-depth analysis of lagovirus distribution, genetic diversity, and interactions. The maintenance of such programs is essential to enable continued investigations of the critical parameters affecting the biocontrol of feral rabbit populations in Australia, as well as to enable the detection of any potential future incursions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rabbit Viral Diseases)

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15 pages, 2402 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimising the Delivery of RHDV to Rabbits for Biocontrol: An Experimental Evaluation of Two Novel Methods of Virus Delivery

by Tshewang Dorji, Ridma M. J. Jayasingha Ellakkala Appuhamilage, Peter L. Bird, Nina Huang, Tiffany W. O’Connor, Kandarp K. Patel, Tanja Strive and Patrick L. Taggart

Viruses 2023, 15(9), 1814; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15091814 - 25 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1610

Abstract

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is established as a landscape-scale biocontrol that assists the management of invasive European rabbits and their impacts in both Australia and New Zealand. In addition to this, it is also available to land managers to augment rabbit control [...] Read more.

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is established as a landscape-scale biocontrol that assists the management of invasive European rabbits and their impacts in both Australia and New Zealand. In addition to this, it is also available to land managers to augment rabbit control efforts at a local scale. However, current methods of deploying RHDV to rabbits that rely on the consumption of virus-treated baits can be problematic as rabbits are reluctant to consume bait when there is abundant, green, protein-rich feed available. We ran a suite of interrupted time-series experiments to compare the duration of infectivity of two conventional (carrot and oat baits) and two novel (meat bait and soil burrow spray) methods of deploying RHDV to rabbits. All methods effectively killed exposed rabbits. Soil burrow spray and carrot baits resulted in infection and mortality out to 5 days post their deployment in the field, and meat baits caused infection out to 10 days post their deployment. In contrast, oat baits continued to infect and kill exposed rabbits out to 20 days post deployment. Molecular assays demonstrated high viral loads in deployed baits beyond the duration for which they were infectious or lethal to rabbits. Based on our results, we suggest that the drying of meat baits may create a barrier to effective transmission of RHDV by adult flies within 10 days. We therefore hypothesise that fly larvae production and development on infected tissues is critical to prolonged viral transmission from meat baits, and similarly from carcasses of RHDV mortalities, via mechanical fly vectors. Our study demonstrates that meat baits and soil spray could provide additional virus deployment options that remove the need for rabbits to consume baits at times when they are reluctant to do so. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rabbit Viral Diseases)

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