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Fitzner A, Niedbalski W, Kęsy A, Rataj B, Flis M. European Brown Hare Syndrome in Poland: Current Epidemiological Situation. Viruses 2022; 14. [PMID: 36366520 DOI: 10.3390/v14112423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
European brown hare syndrome (EBHS) is one of the main causes of mortality in brown hares (Lepus europaeus) and mountain hares (Lepus timidus) in Europe. Since the mid-1990s, this highly lethal and contagious plague has been widespread in many European countries, contributing to a drastic decline in the number of free-living and farmed hares. A second lagovirus, able to infect some species of hares is rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2; GI.2) recognised in 2010, a new viral emergence of RHDV (GI.1) which is known to be responsible for haemorrhagic disease in rabbits-RHD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current EBHS epidemiological situation on the basis of the presence of antibodies to European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV) and anti-RHDV2 antibodies in sera collected from free-ranging hares in Central and Southeastern Poland in 2020-2021. Additionally, studies on the presence of EBHSV and RHDV2 antigens or their genetic material in the blood and internal organs taken from brown hares between 2014 - 2021 have been carried out. The results of the serological examination showed nearly 88% of tested blood samples were positive for EBHSV antibodies. No EBHSV was identified in the examined hares using virological and molecular tests. The positive results of EBHS serological studies confirmed the circulation and maintenance of EBHSV in free-living brown hares in Poland. However, no serological, virological or molecular evidence was obtained indicating that the brown hares tested had been in contact with RHDV2.
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Abade Dos Santos FA, Pinto A, Burgoyne T, Dalton KP, Carvalho CL, Ramilo DW, Carneiro C, Carvalho T, Peleteiro MC, Parra F, Duarte MD. Spillover events of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (recombinant GI.4P-GI.2) from Lagomorpha to Eurasian badger. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:1030-1045. [PMID: 33683820 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a major threat to domestic and wild European rabbits. Presently, in Europe, the disease is caused mainly by Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2/b or Lagovirus europaeus GI.2), the origin of which is still unclear, as no RHDV2 reservoir hosts were identified. After the RHDV2 emergence in 2010, viral RNA was detected in a few rodent species. Furthermore, RHDV2 was found to cause disease in some hare species resembling the disease in rabbits, evidencing the ability of the virus to cross the species barrier. In this study, through molecular, histopathologic, antigenic and morphological evidences, we demonstrate the presence and replication of RHDV2 in Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) found dead in the district of Santarém, Portugal, between March 2017 and January 2020. In these animals, we further classify the RHDV2 as a Lagovirus europaeus recombinant GI.4P-GI.2. Our results indicate that Meles meles is susceptible to RHDV2, developing systemic infection, and excreting the virus in the faeces. Given the high viral loads seen in several organs and matrices, we believe that transmission to the wild rabbit is likely. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy data show the presence of calicivirus compatible virions in the nucleus of hepatocytes, which constitutes a paradigm shift for caliciviruses' replication cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio A Abade Dos Santos
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of. Av. da Universidade Técnica, Lisbon, Portugal.,National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV, I.P.), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, Oeiras, Portugal.,Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Andreia Pinto
- Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Centre, Harefield NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Thomas Burgoyne
- Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Centre, Harefield NHS Trust, London, UK.,UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kevin P Dalton
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Carina L Carvalho
- National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV, I.P.), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - David W Ramilo
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of. Av. da Universidade Técnica, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carla Carneiro
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of. Av. da Universidade Técnica, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Tânia Carvalho
- Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - M Conceição Peleteiro
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of. Av. da Universidade Técnica, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Francisco Parra
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Margarida D Duarte
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of. Av. da Universidade Técnica, Lisbon, Portugal.,National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV, I.P.), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, Oeiras, Portugal
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