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Lázaro C, Guzmán JL, Casas F, Sánchez-García C. Factors affecting populations of the endemic Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) after the first myxomatosis outbreaks in Central Spain. Integr Zool 2023; 18:981-993. [PMID: 36594614 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) is an endemic species distributed in Spain and Portugal. Myxomatosis outbreaks affecting this species were detected in 2018 in Central and Southern Spain, spreading afterward. Aiming to evaluate factors affecting the status of hare population after the arrival of myxomatosis, we conducted 108 nocturnal hare counts in Central Spain during two study periods (winter/spring and summer/autumn) in 54 different hunting grounds, covering 1071 km and observing 884 individuals. The mean density in winter/spring was 7.66 hares/100 ha, (range 6.14-9.54/100 ha), while in summer/autumn, it was 3.4 hares/100 ha (range 2.6-4.4/100 ha). Densities of hares were not affected by the dominant habitat and the presence/absence of myxomatosis outbreaks. Hares were more abundant at hunting grounds at a higher altitude and in those conducting targeted management, while detection of myxomatosis was related to lower altitude and higher levels of game management. A MaxEnt model used to generate a risk map for myxomatosis occurrence showed that the temperature annual range was the most important predictor, which suggests that environmental factors affecting myxomatosis vectors (mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks) could play a key role in disease transmission. As myxomatosis in hares is becoming endemic, hare densities may be improved by game management and the monitoring and surveillance of this emerging disease. These surveillance programs could be the basis of effective collaborations between hunters, researchers, and environmental managers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Lázaro
- Department of Research, Fundación Artemisan, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | | | - Fabián Casas
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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Agulló-Ros I, Jiménez-Martín D, Camacho-Sillero L, Gortázar C, Capucci L, Cano-Terriza D, Zorrilla I, Gómez-Guillamón F, García-Bocanegra I, Risalde MA. Pathological changes and viral antigen distribution in tissues of Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) naturally infected with the emerging recombinant myxoma virus (ha-MYXV). Vet Rec 2023; 192:e2182. [PMID: 36129410 DOI: 10.1002/vetr.2182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A cross-species jump was confirmed in 2018, when a novel recombinant myxoma virus (MYXV) (ha-MYXV) caused high mortality in Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) in the Iberian Peninsula. METHOD The aim of this study was to evaluate the main lesions, tissular distribution and target cells of ha-MYXV in Iberian hare. Gross postmortem examinations and histological and immunohistochemical studies to detect ha-MYXV were carried out in 28 animals that were confirmed as ha-MYXV positive by PCR. RESULTS The main macroscopic lesions were bilateral blepharoconjunctivitis, epistaxis, intense congestion and oedema in several organs and some internal haemorrhages. Visible myxomas were not found. Histopathological examination revealed hyperplastic epidermis with predominant hyperkeratosis and myxoid matrix in the dermis. ha-MYXV-positive keratinocytes showed hydropic degeneration and cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Alveolar oedema, interstitial pneumonia, dramatic lymphoid depletion in the spleen and necrosis in the liver and testis were observed. ha-MYXV was mainly detected in epithelial and myxoma cells in the skin, and also in macrophages, lymphocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells in several organs, as well as in hepatocytes and Leydig cells. LIMITATIONS A non-homogeneous number of samples were included in all the animals. Future experimental studies with controlled variables are necessary. CONCLUSION These findings correspond to an unusual form of myxomatosis, characterised by an acute or hyperacute presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Agulló-Ros
- Departamento de Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica Comparadas y Toxicología, Grupo de Investigación GISAZ, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Débora Jiménez-Martín
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación GISAZ, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Leonor Camacho-Sillero
- Programa Vigilancia Epidemiológica Fauna Silvestre (PVE), Consejería Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo Sostenible, Junta de Andalucía, Málaga, Spain
| | - Christian Gortázar
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Capucci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Brescia, Italy
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación GISAZ, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Zorrilla
- Centro de Análisis y Diagnóstico de la Fauna Silvestre en Andalucía, Agencia de Medio, Ambiente y Agua M.P., Junta de Andalucía, Málaga, Spain
| | - Félix Gómez-Guillamón
- Programa Vigilancia Epidemiológica Fauna Silvestre (PVE), Consejería Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo Sostenible, Junta de Andalucía, Málaga, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación GISAZ, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Grupo de Virología Clínica y Zoonosis, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - María A Risalde
- Departamento de Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica Comparadas y Toxicología, Grupo de Investigación GISAZ, UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Grupo de Virología Clínica y Zoonosis, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
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Abade Dos Santos FA, Santos N, Carvalho CL, Martinez-Haro M, Gortázar C, García-Bocanegra I, Capucci L, Duarte M, Alves PC. Retrospective serological and molecular survey of myxoma or antigenically related virus in the Iberian hare, Lepus granatensis. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:3637-3650. [PMID: 36219552 PMCID: PMC10092749 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The 2018 outbreak of myxomatosis in the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) has been hypothesized to originate from a species jump of the rabbit-associated myxoma virus (MYXV), after natural recombination with an unknown poxvirus. Iberian hares were long considered resistant to myxomatosis as no prior outbreaks were reported. To provide insights into the emergence of this recombinant virus (ha-MYXV), we investigated serum samples from 451 Iberian hares collected over two time periods almost two decades apart, 1994-1999 and 2017-2019 for the presence of antibodies and MYXV-DNA. First, we screened all serum samples using a rabbit commercial indirect ELISA (iELISA) and then tested a subset of these samples in parallel using indirect immunofluorescence test (IFT), competitive ELISA (cELISA) and qPCR targeting M000.5L/R gene conserved in MYXV and ha-MYXV. The cut-off of iELISA relative index 10 = 6.1 was selected from a semiparametric finite mixture analysis aiming to minimize the probability of false positive results. Overall, MYXV related-antibodies were detected in 57 hares (12.6%) including 38 apparently healthy hares (n = 10, sampled in 1994-1999, none MYXV-DNA positive, and n = 28 sampled in 2017-2019 of which four were also ha-MYXV-DNA positive) and 19 found-dead and ha-MYXV-DNA-positive sampled in 2018-2019. Interestingly, four seronegative hares sampled in 1997 were MYXV-DNA positive by qPCR, the result being confirmed by sequencing of three of them. For the Iberian hares hunted or live trapped (both apparently health), seroprevalence was significantly higher in 2017-2019 (13.0%, CI95% 9.2-18.2%) than in 1994-1999 (5.4%, CI95% 3.0-9.6%) (p = .009). Within the second period, seroprevalence was significantly higher in 2019 compared to 2017 (24.7 vs 1.7% considering all the sample, p = .007), and lower during the winter than the autumn (p < .001). While our molecular and serological results show that Iberian hares have been in contact with MYXV or an antigenically similar virus at least since 1996, they also show an increase in seroprevalence in 2018-2019. The remote contact with MYXV may have occurred with strains that circulated in rabbits, or with unnoticed strains already circulating in Iberian hare populations. This work strongly suggests the infection of Iberian hares with MYXV or an antigenically related virus, at least 20 years before the severe virus outbreaks were registered in 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio A Abade Dos Santos
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P. (INIAV, I.P.), Oeiras, Portugal.,Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, Lisboa, Portugal.,Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Portugal
| | - Nuno Santos
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Carina L Carvalho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P. (INIAV, I.P.), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Monica Martinez-Haro
- Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal de Castilla-La Mancha (IRIAF). Centro de Investigación Agroambiental El Chaparrillo, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Christian Gortázar
- SaBio Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (UCLM & CSIC), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | | | - Lorenzo Capucci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna and OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease, Brescia, Italy
| | - Margarida Duarte
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P. (INIAV, I.P.), Oeiras, Portugal.,Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, Lisboa, Portugal.,Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Portugal
| | - Paulo Célio Alves
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,EBM, Estação. Biológica de Mértola, Mértola, Portugal
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Camacho-Sillero L, Cardoso B, Beato-Benítez A, Gómez-Guillamón F, Díaz-Cao JM, Jiménez-Martín D, Caballero-Gómez J, Castro-Scholten S, Cano-Terriza D, García-Bocanegra I. Spatiotemporal monitoring of myxomatosis in European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Spanish Mediterranean ecosystems. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:3494-3505. [PMID: 36150087 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
A long-term active epidemiological surveillance programme was conducted to determine seroprevalence to myxoma virus (MYXV), infection prevalence and spatiotemporal patterns and factors associated with MYXV circulation in wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Spanish Mediterranean ecosystems. A total of 2376 animals were sampled over four study periods: 2009-2012 (P1), 2012-2015 (P2), 2015-2018 (P3) and 2018-2021 (P4). Antibodies against MYXV were detected by a commercial indirect ELISA in 59.9% (1424/2376; 95% CI: 58.0-61.9) of wild rabbits. At least one seropositive animal was detected on 131 (96.3%) of 136 game estates sampled. MYXV infection was confirmed by PCR in 94 of 1063 (8.8%; 95% CI: 7.3-10.7) wild rabbits. Circulation of the novel recombinant MYXV (ha-MYXV) was not found in wild rabbits analysed during P4. Five statistically significant spatiotemporal clusters of high MYXV seroprevalence were identified using a Bernoulli model: one in P2 and four in P3. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) analysis identified sampling season (autumn), age (adult and juvenile), outbreaks of myxomatosis in the month prior to sampling, mean annual temperature, humidity and seropositivity to rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus as factors potentially linked with MYXV seropositivity. GLMM analysis identified outbreaks of myxomatosis in the month prior to sampling, MYXV seropositivity and presence of lesions compatible with myxomatosis as factors associated with MYXV infection. The results indicate high exposure, widespread but non-homogeneous distribution, and endemic circulation of MYXV in wild rabbit populations in southern Spain during the last decade. Prevalence of antibodies against MYXV showed fluctuations both within the year and over the study periods, revealing variations in the immunity of wild rabbit populations in Mediterranean ecosystems that could increase the risk of MYXV re-emergence in immunologically naïve populations. The present study highlights the importance of long-term surveillance to better understand the epidemiology of MYXV in wild lagomorphs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonor Camacho-Sillero
- Programa Vigilancia Epidemiológica Fauna Silvestre (PVE), Consejería de Sostenibilidad, Medio Ambiente y Economía Azul, Junta de Andalucía, Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Beatriz Cardoso
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain.,CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Adrián Beato-Benítez
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Félix Gómez-Guillamón
- Programa Vigilancia Epidemiológica Fauna Silvestre (PVE), Consejería de Sostenibilidad, Medio Ambiente y Economía Azul, Junta de Andalucía, Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - José M Díaz-Cao
- Departamento de Patoloxía Animal (INVESAGA Group), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Débora Jiménez-Martín
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Javier Caballero-Gómez
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Grupo de Virología Clínica y Zoonosis, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Reina Sofía, Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Sabrina Castro-Scholten
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Kerr PJ, Cattadori IM, Sim D, Liu J, Holmes EC, Read AF. Divergent Evolutionary Pathways of Myxoma Virus in Australia: Virulence Phenotypes in Susceptible and Partially Resistant Rabbits Indicate Possible Selection for Transmissibility. J Virol 2022;:e0088622. [PMID: 36197107 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00886-22] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To characterize the ongoing evolution of myxoma virus in Australian rabbits, we used experimental infections of laboratory rabbits to determine the virulence and disease phenotypes of recent virus isolates. The viruses, collected between 2012 and 2015, fell into three lineages, one of which, lineage c, experienced a punctuated increase in evolutionary rate. All viruses were capable of causing acute death with aspects of neutropenic septicemia, characterized by minimal signs of myxomatosis, the occurrence of pulmonary edema and bacteria invasions throughout internal organs, but with no inflammatory response. For the viruses of highest virulence all rabbits usually died at this point. In more attenuated viruses, some rabbits died acutely, while others developed an amyxomatous phenotype. Rabbits that survived for longer periods developed greatly swollen cutaneous tissues with very high virus titers. This was particularly true of lineage c viruses. Unexpectedly, we identified a line of laboratory rabbits with some innate resistance to myxomatosis and used these in direct comparisons with the fully susceptible rabbit line. Importantly, the same disease phenotype occurred in both susceptible and resistant rabbits, although virulence was shifted toward more attenuated grades in resistant animals. We propose that selection against inflammation at cutaneous sites prolongs virus replication and enhances transmission, leading to the amyxomatous phenotype. In some virus backgrounds this creates an immunosuppressive state that predisposes to high virulence and acute death. The alterations in disease pathogenesis, particularly the overwhelming bacterial invasions that characterize the modern viruses, suggest that their virulence grades are not directly comparable with earlier studies. IMPORTANCE The evolution of the myxoma virus (MYXV) following its release as a biological control for European rabbits in Australia is the textbook example of the coevolution of virus virulence and host resistance. However, most of our knowledge of MYXV evolution only covers the first few decades of its spread in Australia and often with little direct connection between how changes in virus phenotype relate to those in the underlying virus genotype. By conducting detailed experimental infections of recent isolates of MYXV in different lines of laboratory rabbits, we examined the ongoing evolution of MYXV disease phenotypes. Our results reveal a wide range of phenotypes, including an amyxomatous type, as well as the impact of invasive bacteria, that in part depended on the level of rabbit host resistance. These results provide a unique insight into the complex virus and host factors that combine to shape disease phenotype and viral evolution.
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Águeda-Pinto A, Kraberger S, Everts A, Gutierrez-Jensen A, Glenn HL, Dalton KP, Podadera A, Parra F, Martinez-Haro M, Viñuelas JA, Varsani A, McFadden G, Rahman MM, Esteves PJ. Identification of a Novel Myxoma Virus C7-Like Host Range Factor That Enabled a Species Leap from Rabbits to Hares. mBio 2022; 13:e0346121. [PMID: 35352978 PMCID: PMC9040879 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03461-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Myxoma virus (MYXV) is naturally found in rabbit Sylvilagus species and is known to cause lethal myxomatosis in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In 2019, an MYXV strain (MYXV strain Toledo [MYXV-Tol]) causing myxomatosis-like disease in Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) was identified. MYXV-Tol acquired a recombinant region of ∼2.8 kb harboring several new genes, including a novel host range gene (M159) that we show to be an orthologous member of the vaccinia virus C7 host range family. Here, to test whether M159 alone has enabled MYXV to alter its host range to Iberian hares, several recombinant viruses were generated, including an MYXV-Tol ΔM159 (knockout) strain. While MYXV-Tol underwent fully productive infection in hare HN-R cells, neither the wild-type MYXV-Lau strain (lacking M159) nor vMyxTol-ΔM159 (deleted for M159) was able to infect and replicate, showing that the ability of MYXV-Tol to infect these cells and replicate depends on the presence of M159. Similar to other C7L family members, M159 was shown to be expressed as an early/late gene but was translocated into the nucleus at later time points, indicating that further studies are needed to elucidate its role in the nucleus. Finally, in rabbit cells, the M159 protein did not contribute to increased replication but was able to upregulate the replication levels of MYXV in nonpermissive and semipermissive human cancer cells, suggesting that the M159-targeted pathway is conserved across mammalian species. Altogether, these observations demonstrate that the M159 protein plays a critical role in determining the host specificity of MYXV-Tol in hare and human cells by imparting new host range functions. IMPORTANCE The coevolution of European rabbit populations and MYXV is a textbook example of an arms race between a pathogen and a host. Recently, a recombinant MYXV (MYXV-Tol) crossed the species barrier by jumping from leporid species to another species, causing lethal myxomatosis-like disease. Given the highly pathogenic nature of this new virus in hares and the incidences of other poxvirus cross-species spillovers into other animals, including humans, it is important to understand how and why MYXV-Tol was able to become virulent in a new host species. The results presented clearly demonstrate that M159 is the key factor allowing MYXV-Tol replication in hare cells by imparting new host range functions. These results have the potential to improve current knowledge about the virulence of poxviruses and provide a platform to better understand the new MYXV-Tol, rendering the virus capable of leaping into a new host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Águeda-Pinto
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy (CIVV), The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Simona Kraberger
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ , USA
| | - Anne Everts
- Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy (CIVV), The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Ami Gutierrez-Jensen
- Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy (CIVV), The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Honor L. Glenn
- Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy (CIVV), The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Kevin P. Dalton
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Universidad de Oviedo, Campus El Cristo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Ana Podadera
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Universidad de Oviedo, Campus El Cristo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Francisco Parra
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Universidad de Oviedo, Campus El Cristo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Monica Martinez-Haro
- Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), CIAG del Chaparrillo, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - José Alberto Viñuelas
- Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal (IRIAF), CIAG del Chaparrillo, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Arvind Varsani
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ , USA
- Structural Biology Research Unit, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Grant McFadden
- Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy (CIVV), The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Masmudur M. Rahman
- Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy (CIVV), The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Pedro J. Esteves
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- CITS—Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias da Saúde, IPSN, CESPU, Gandra, Portugal
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Abade Dos Santos FA, Dalton KP, Carvalho CL, Casero M, Álvarez ÁL, Parra F, Duarte MD. Co-infection by classic MYXV and ha-MYXV in Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) and European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus). Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:1684-1690. [PMID: 35366052 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Myxomatosis is an emergent disease in the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis). In this species, the disease is caused by a natural recombinant virus (ha-MYXV) identified for the first time in 2018 and has since been responsible for a large number of outbreaks in Spain and Portugal. The ha-MYXV, which harbours a 2.8 Kb insert disrupting gene M009L, can also infect and cause disease in wild and domestic rabbits, despite being less frequently identified in rabbits. During the laboratory investigations of wild leporids found dead in Portugal carried out within the scope of a Nacional Surveillance Plan (Dispatch 4757/17, MAFDR), co-infection events by classic (MYXV) and naturally recombinant (ha-MYXV) strains were detected in both, one Iberian hare and one European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus). These two cases were initially detected by a multiplex qPCR detection of MYXV and ha-MYXV, and subsequently confirmed by conventional PCR and sequencing of the M009L gene which contains a ha-MYXV specific insertion. To our knowledge, this is the first documented report of co-infection by classic MYXV and ha-MYXV strains either in Iberian hare as in European wild rabbit. It is also the first report of infection of an Iberian hare by a classic MYXV strain. These findings highlight the continuous evolution of the myxoma virus and the frequent host range changes that justify the nonstop monitoring of the wild Leporidae populations sanitary condition in the Iberian Peninsula. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio A Abade Dos Santos
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P. (INIAV, IP), Av. da República, Oeiras, 2780-143, Portugal.,CIISA, Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, Lisboa, 1300-477, Portugal.,Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.,Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Portugal
| | - Kevin P Dalton
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Carina L Carvalho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P. (INIAV, IP), Av. da República, Oeiras, 2780-143, Portugal
| | - María Casero
- Wildlife Rehabilitation and Research Centre of Ria Formosa (RIAS), Ria Formosa Natural Park, Olhão, 8700-194, Portugal
| | - Ángel L Álvarez
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - F Parra
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Margarida D Duarte
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P. (INIAV, IP), Av. da República, Oeiras, 2780-143, Portugal.,CIISA, Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, Lisboa, 1300-477, Portugal.,Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Portugal
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Hernández Ó, Sánchez-García C, Tizado EJ. Impact of myxomatosis on densities of Iberian hares ( Lepus granatensis) in North-western Spain: implications for management and sustainable hunting. The European Zoological Journal 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2022.2037759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ó. Hernández
- Federación de Galgos de Castilla y León, Medina del Campo (Valladolid), Spain
| | | | - E. J. Tizado
- Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Universidad de León, Ponferrada (León), Spain
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Abade dos Santos FA, Carvalho CL, Valente PCLG, Armés H, Reemers SS, Peleteiro MC, Calonge Sanz I, Dalton KP, Parra F, Duarte MD. Evaluation of Commercial Myxomatosis Vaccines against Recombinant Myxoma Virus (ha-MYXV) in Iberian Hare and Wild Rabbit. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10030356. [PMID: 35334987 PMCID: PMC8954362 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10030356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent emergence of a new myxoma virus capable of causing disease in the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) has resulted in numerous outbreaks with high mortality leading to the reduction, or even the disappearance, of many local populations of this wild species in the Iberian Peninsula. Currently, the available vaccines that prevent myxomatosis in domestic rabbits caused by classic strains of myxoma virus have not been assessed for use in Iberian hares. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of commercial rabbit vaccines in Iberian hares and wild rabbits against the natural recombinant myxoma virus (ha-MYXV), bearing in mind its application in specific scenarios where capture is possible, such as genetic reserves. The study used a limited number of animals (pilot study), 15 Iberian hares and 10 wild rabbits. Hares were vaccinated with Mixohipra-FSA vaccine (Hipra) and Mixohipra-H vaccine (Hipra) using two different doses, and rabbits were vaccinated with the Mixohipra-H vaccine or the Nobivac Myxo-RHD PLUS (MSD Animal Health) using the recommended doses for domestic rabbits. After the vaccination trials, the animals were challenged with a wild type strain of ha-MYXV. The results showed that no protection to ha-MYXV challenge was afforded when a commercial dose of Mixohipra-FSA or Mixohipra-H vaccine was used in hares. However, the application of a higher dose of Mixohipra-FSA vaccine may induce protection and could possibly be used to counteract the accelerated decrease of wild hare populations due to ha-MYXV emergence. The two commercial vaccines (Mixohipra-H and Nobivac Myxo-RHD PLUS) tested in wild rabbits were fully protective against ha-MYXV infection. This knowledge gives more insights into ha-MYXV management in hares and rabbits and emphasises the importance of developing a vaccine capable of protecting wild populations of Iberian hare and wild rabbit towards MYXV and ha-MYXV strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio A. Abade dos Santos
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal; (P.C.L.G.V.); (M.C.P.); (M.D.D.)
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, I.P.), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (I.C.S.); (K.P.D.); (F.P.)
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
- Correspondence:
| | - Carina L. Carvalho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, I.P.), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
| | - Pâmela C. L. G. Valente
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal; (P.C.L.G.V.); (M.C.P.); (M.D.D.)
| | - Henrique Armés
- Hospital Veterinário de São Bento, R. de São Bento 358a, 1200-822 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Sylvia S. Reemers
- MSD Animal Health, Wim de Körverstraat 35, 5831 AN Boxmeer, The Netherlands;
| | - Maria C. Peleteiro
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal; (P.C.L.G.V.); (M.C.P.); (M.D.D.)
| | - Inés Calonge Sanz
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (I.C.S.); (K.P.D.); (F.P.)
| | - Kevin P. Dalton
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (I.C.S.); (K.P.D.); (F.P.)
| | - Francisco Parra
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (I.C.S.); (K.P.D.); (F.P.)
| | - Margarida D. Duarte
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal; (P.C.L.G.V.); (M.C.P.); (M.D.D.)
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, I.P.), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
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Penrith ML, Kivaria FM. One hundred years of African swine fever in Africa: where have we been, where are we now, where are we going? Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:e1179-e1200. [PMID: 35104041 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
One hundred years have passed since the first paper on African swine fever (ASF) was published by Montgomery in 1921. With no vaccine, ineffectiveness of prevention and control measures, and lack of common interest in eradicating the disease, ASF has proven to be one of the most devastating diseases because of its significant sanitary and socioeconomic consequences. The rapid spread of the disease on the European and Asian continents and its recent appearance in the Caribbean puts all countries at great risk because of global trade. The incidence of ASF has also increased on the African continent over the last few decades, extending its distribution far beyond the area in which the ancient sylvatic cycle is present with its complex epidemiological transmission pathways involving virus reservoirs in ticks and wild African Suidae. Both in that area and elsewhere, efficient transmission by infected domestic pigs and virus resistance in infected animal products and fomites mean that human driven factors along the pig value chain are the dominant impediments for its prevention, control, and eradication. Control efforts in Africa are furthermore hampered by the lack of information about the size and location of the fast-growing pig population, particularly in the dynamic smallholder sector that constitutes up to 90% of pig production in the region. A vaccine that will be both affordable and effective against multiple genotypes of the virus is not a short-term reality. Therefore, a strategy for management of ASF in sub-Saharan Africa is needed to provide a roadmap for the way forward for the continent. This review explores the progression of ASF and our knowledge of it through research over a century in Africa, our current understanding of ASF, and what must be done going forwards to improve the African situation and contribute to global prevention and control. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Louise Penrith
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Fredrick Mathias Kivaria
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Block P, Level 3, United Nations Complex, UN Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi, PO Box: 30470, GPO, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
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11
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Abade dos Santos FA, Carvalho CL, Parra F, Dalton KP, Peleteiro MC, Duarte MD. A Quadruplex qPCR for Detection and Differentiation of Classic and Natural Recombinant Myxoma Virus Strains of Leporids. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222112052. [PMID: 34769480 PMCID: PMC8584577 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222112052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A natural recombinant myxoma virus (referred to as ha-MYXV or MYXV-Tol08/18) emerged in the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) and the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in late 2018 and mid-2020, respectively. This new virus is genetically distinct from classic myxoma virus (MYXV) strains that caused myxomatosis in rabbits until then, by acquiring an additional 2.8 Kbp insert within the m009L gene that disrupted it into ORFs m009L-a and m009L-b. To distinguish ha-MYXV from classic MYXV strains, we developed a robust qPCR multiplex technique that combines the amplification of the m000.5L/R duplicated gene, conserved in all myxoma virus strains including ha-MYXV, with the amplification of two other genes targeted by the real-time PCR systems designed during this study, specific either for classic MYXV or ha-MYXV strains. The first system targets the boundaries between ORFs m009L-a and m009L-b, only contiguous in classic strains, while the second amplifies a fragment within gene m060L, only present in recombinant MYXV strains. All amplification reactions were validated and normalized by a fourth PCR system directed to a housekeeping gene (18S rRNA) conserved in eukaryotic organisms, including hares and rabbits. The multiplex PCR (mPCR) technique described here was optimized for Taqman® and Evagreen® systems allowing the detection of as few as nine copies of viral DNA in the sample with an efficiency > 93%. This real-time multiplex is the first fast method available for the differential diagnosis between classic and recombinant MYXV strains, also allowing the detection of co-infections. The system proves to be an essential and effective tool for monitoring the geographical spread of ha-MYXV in the hare and wild rabbit populations, supporting the management of both species in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio A. Abade dos Santos
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal; (M.C.P.); (M.D.D.)
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, I.P.), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain; (F.P.); (K.P.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-21-440-3500
| | - Carina L. Carvalho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, I.P.), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
| | - Francisco Parra
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain; (F.P.); (K.P.D.)
| | - Kevin P. Dalton
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain; (F.P.); (K.P.D.)
| | - Maria C. Peleteiro
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal; (M.C.P.); (M.D.D.)
| | - Margarida D. Duarte
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal; (M.C.P.); (M.D.D.)
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, I.P.), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
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García-Pereira S, González-Barrio D, Fernández-García JL, Gómez-Martín A, Habela MÁ, García-Bocanegra I, Calero-Bernal R. Detection of Myxoma Virus DNA in Ticks from Lagomorph Species in Spain Suggests Their Possible Role as Competent Vector in Viral Transmission. J Wildl Dis 2021; 57:423-8. [PMID: 33626569 DOI: 10.7589/JWD-D-20-00116] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Myxoma virus (MYXV) causes morbidity and mortality in European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) worldwide, and recently in Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) in Spain. We aimed to assess the presence of MYXV-specific DNA in ixodid ticks collected from both hosts. A total of 417 ticks harvested from 30 wild lagomorphs, including wild rabbits and Iberian hares were collected from southern Spain. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and PCR-sequencing were used to detect virus exposure and presence, respectively. Antibodies to MYXV were detected in 68% (17/25) of wild rabbits and in 67% (2/3) of Iberian hares. We detected MYXV DNA in 50.7% of pools of two different tick species (nymphs and adults of Rhipicephalus pusillus, and nymphs of Hyalomma lusitanicum) parasitizing rabbits and hares. The obtained partial sequence of the viral major envelope protein gene showed a mutation (G383A) within the MYXV_gp026 locus between the rabbit strain and Iberian hare strain (recently isolated in tissues of infected hares from Spain). However, in our study, the viral DNA presence was detected for the first time using tick DNA as the PCR-template, but the possible role of ticks as vectors of MYXV still needs to be elucidated.
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Abstract
Viral diseases, whether of animals or humans, are normally considered as problems to be managed. However, in Australia, two viruses have been used as landscape-scale therapeutics to control European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the preeminent invasive vertebrate pest species. Rabbits have caused major environmental and agricultural losses and contributed to extinction of native species. It was not until the introduction of Myxoma virus that effective control of this pest was obtained at a continental scale. Subsequent coevolution of rabbit and virus saw a gradual reduction in the effectiveness of biological control that was partially ameliorated by the introduction of the European rabbit flea to act as an additional vector for the virus. In 1995, a completely different virus, Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), escaped from testing and spread through the Australian rabbit population and again significantly reduced rabbit numbers and environmental impacts. The evolutionary pressures on this virus appear to be producing quite different outcomes to those that occurred with myxoma virus and the emergence and invasion of a novel genotype of RHDV in 2014 have further augmented control. Molecular studies on myxoma virus have demonstrated multiple proteins that manipulate the host innate and adaptive immune response; however the molecular basis of virus attenuation and reversion to virulence are not yet understood.
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Sánchez-garcía C, Pérez JA, Armenteros JA, Gaudioso VR, Tizado EJ. Survival, spatial behaviour and resting place selection of translocated Iberian hares Lepus granatensis in Northwestern Spain. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021; 67. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01464-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Cardells J, Lizana V, Martí-Marco A, Lavín S, Velarde R, Rossi L, Moroni B. First description of sarcoptic mange in an Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis). Current Research in Parasitology & Vector-Borne Diseases 2021; 1:100021. [PMID: 35284901 PMCID: PMC8906140 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2021.100021] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) is a popular small game species in the Iberian Peninsula, and it has never been reported to be affected by sarcoptic mange. An adult female Iberian hare with overt skin lesions on forelimbs and ventral thorax, suggestive of sarcoptic mange, was culled in Quart de les Valls municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain, in 2019. Skin scrapings were digested in 10% KOH solutions to confirm the presence of mites. Ten Sarcoptes microsatellite markers were used to characterize the genetic structure of mites obtained from the hare, and from sympatric and allopatric wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). A total of 56 alleles were counted across the 10 microsatellite loci. Six private alleles were found at four loci (Sarms 33, 38, 41, 45). The multivariate analysis characterized three main clusters, corresponding to mites collected on foxes originating from Catalonia, foxes from Valencia and the hare plus wild rabbits. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of sarcoptic mange in the Iberian hare. The origin was molecularly traced back to contacts with endemically infected wild rabbits. We encourage further investigations on cross-transmissibility of S. scabiei between wild rabbits and the diverse representatives of Lepus spp. Crusted scabies in an Iberian hare was detected for the first time in Valencia, Spain in 2019. Wild rabbits might be a natural source of infection of S. scabiei for the Iberian hare, rather than sympatric predators. Microsatellite markers are efficient epidemiological tools for tracing the source of Sarcoptes scabiei infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Cardells
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victor Lizana
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Martí-Marco
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación, Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
| | - Santiago Lavín
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Velarde
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luca Rossi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Barbara Moroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy
- Corresponding author.
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Abade Dos Santos FA, Carvalho CL, Monteiro M, Carvalho P, Mendonça P, Peleteiro MDC, Duarte MD. Recombinant myxoma virus infection associated with high mortality in rabbit farming (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:2616-2621. [PMID: 33119958 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Myxomatosis is an emergent disease in the Iberian hare, having been considered a rabbit disease for decades. Genome sequencing of the strains obtained from Iberian hares with myxomatosis showed these to be distinct from the classical ones that circulated in rabbits since the virus introduction in Europe, in 1952. The main genomic difference in this natural recombinant hare myxoma virus (ha-MYXV) is the presence of an additional 2.8 kb region disrupting the M009L gene and adding a set of genes homologous to the myxoma virus (MYXV) genes M060R, M061R, M064R, M065R and M066R originated in Poxviruses. After the emergence of this recombinant virus (ha-MYXV) in hares, in the summer of 2019, the ha-MYXV was not detected in rabbit surveys, suggesting an apparent species segregation with the MYXV classic strains persistently circulating in rabbits. Recently, a group of six unvaccinated European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus) from a backyard rabbitry in South Portugal developed signs of myxomatosis (anorexia, dyspnoea, oedema of eyelids, head, ears, external genitals and anus, and skin myxomas in the base of the ears). Five of them died within 24-48 hr of symptom onset. Molecular analysis revealed that only the recombinant MYXV was present. This is the first documented report of a recombinant hare myxoma virus in farm rabbits associated with high mortality, which increases the concern for the future of both the Iberian hare and wild rabbits and questions the safety of the rabbit industry. This highlights the urgent need to evaluate the efficacy of available vaccines against this new MYXV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio A Abade Dos Santos
- INIAV, I.P. National Institute of Agrarian and Veterinarian Research, Oeiras, Portugal.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Lisbon, CIISA, Lisboa, Portugal.,Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (IUBA), Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Carina L Carvalho
- INIAV, I.P. National Institute of Agrarian and Veterinarian Research, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Madalena Monteiro
- INIAV, I.P. National Institute of Agrarian and Veterinarian Research, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paulo Carvalho
- INIAV, I.P. National Institute of Agrarian and Veterinarian Research, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula Mendonça
- INIAV, I.P. National Institute of Agrarian and Veterinarian Research, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Margarida D Duarte
- INIAV, I.P. National Institute of Agrarian and Veterinarian Research, Oeiras, Portugal.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Lisbon, CIISA, Lisboa, Portugal
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Abade Dos Santos FA, Carvalho CL, Pinto A, Rai R, Monteiro M, Carvalho P, Mendonça P, Peleteiro MC, Parra F, Duarte MD. Detection of recombinant Hare Myxoma Virus in wild rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus). Viruses 2020; 12:E1127. [PMID: 33028004 DOI: 10.3390/v12101127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In late 2018, an epidemic myxomatosis outbreak emerged on the Iberian Peninsula leading to high mortality in Iberian hare populations. A recombinant Myxoma virus (strains MYXV-Tol and ha-MYXV) was rapidly identified, harbouring a 2.8 kbp insertion containing evolved duplicates of M060L, M061L, M064L, and M065L genes from myxoma virus (MYXV) or other Poxviruses. Since 2017, 1616 rabbits and 125 hares were tested by a qPCR directed to M000.5L/R gene, conserved in MYXV and MYXV-Tol/ha-MYXV strains. A subset of the positive samples (20%) from both species was tested for the insert with MYXV being detected in rabbits and the recombinant MYXV in hares. Recently, three wild rabbits were found dead South of mainland Portugal, showing skin oedema and pulmonary lesions that tested positive for the 2.8 kbp insert. Sequencing analysis showed 100% similarity with the insert sequences described in Iberian hares from Spain. Viral particles were observed in the lungs and eyelids of rabbits by electron microscopy, and isolation in RK13 cells attested virus infectivity. Despite that the analysis of complete genomes may predict the recombinant MYXV strains’ ability to infect rabbit, routine analyses showed species segregation for the circulation of MYXV and recombinant MYXV in wild rabbit and in Iberian hares, respectively. This study demonstrates, however, that recombinant MYXV can effectively infect and cause myxomatosis in wild rabbits and domestic rabbits, raising serious concerns for the future of the Iberian wild leporids while emphasises the need for the continuous monitoring of MYXV and recombinant MYXV in both species.
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García-Bocanegra I, Camacho-Sillero L, Caballero-Gómez J, Agüero M, Gómez-Guillamón F, Manuel Ruiz-Casas J, Manuel Díaz-Cao J, García E, José Ruano M, de la Haza R. Monitoring of emerging myxoma virus epidemics in Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) in Spain, 2018-2020. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:1275-1282. [PMID: 32786107 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Myxomatosis is an infectious disease caused by the myxoma virus (MYXV), which has very high mortality rates in European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). While sporadic cases of myxomatosis have also been reported in some hare species, these lagomorphs are considered to have a low susceptibility to MYXV infection. In the present study, we describe the spatiotemporal evolution and main epidemiological findings of novel hare MYXV (ha-MYXV or MYXV-Tol) epidemics in Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) in Spain. In the period 2018-2020, a total of 487 hares from 372 affected areas were confirmed to be MYXV-infected by PCR. ha-MYXV outbreaks were detected in most of the Spanish regions where the Iberian hare is present. The spatial distribution was not homogeneous, with most outbreaks concentrated in the southern and central parts of Spain. Consecutive outbreaks reported in the last two years suggest endemic circulation in Spain of this emerging virus. A retrospective study carried out just after the first epidemic period (2018-2019) revealed that the virus could have been circulating since June 2018. The number of outbreaks started to rise in July, peaked during the first half of August and October and then decreased sharply until January 2019. The apparent mean mortality rate was 55.4% (median: 70%). The results indicated high susceptibility of the Iberian hare to ha-MYXV infection, but apparent resistance in the sympatric hare species present in Spain and less infectivity in European rabbits. The novel ha-MYXV has had significant consequences on the health status of Iberian hare populations in Spain, which is of animal health and conservation concern. The present study contributes to a better understanding of ha-MYXV emergence and will provide valuable information for the development of control strategies. Further research is warranted to assess the impact of this emerging virus on wild lagomorph populations and to elucidate its ecological implications for Iberian Mediterranean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leonor Camacho-Sillero
- Programa Vigilancia Epidemiológica Fauna Silvestre (PVE), Consejería Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo Sostenible, Junta de Andalucía, Málaga, Spain
| | - Javier Caballero-Gómez
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Grupo de Virología Clínica y Zoonosis, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Reina Sofía, Universidad de Córdoba (UCO), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Montserrat Agüero
- Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria (LCV), Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, , Madrid, Spain
| | - Félix Gómez-Guillamón
- Programa Vigilancia Epidemiológica Fauna Silvestre (PVE), Consejería Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo Sostenible, Junta de Andalucía, Málaga, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Ruiz-Casas
- Consejería de Agricultura, Agua y Desarrollo Rural, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | - José Manuel Díaz-Cao
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Elena García
- Área de Epidemiología, Subdirección General de Sanidad e Higiene Animal y Trazabilidad, Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, Madrid, Spain
| | - María José Ruano
- Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria (LCV), Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, , Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael de la Haza
- Área de Epidemiología, Subdirección General de Sanidad e Higiene Animal y Trazabilidad, Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, Madrid, Spain
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Rahman MM, McFadden G. Myxoma Virus-Encoded Host Range Protein M029: A Multifunctional Antagonist Targeting Multiple Host Antiviral and Innate Immune Pathways. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E244. [PMID: 32456120 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Myxoma virus (MYXV) is the prototypic member of the Leporipoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family of viruses. In nature, MYXV is highly restricted to leporids and causes a lethal disease called myxomatosis only in European rabbits (Oryctologous cuniculus). However, MYXV has been shown to also productively infect various types of nonrabbit transformed and cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, whereas their normal somatic cell counterparts undergo abortive infections. This selective tropism of MYXV for cancer cells outside the rabbit host has facilitated its development as an oncolytic virus for the treatment of different types of cancers. Like other poxviruses, MYXV possesses a large dsDNA genome which encodes an array of dozens of immunomodulatory proteins that are important for host and cellular tropism and modulation of host antiviral innate immune responses, some of which are rabbit-specific and others can function in nonrabbit cells as well. This review summarizes the functions of one such MYXV host range protein, M029, an ortholog of the larger superfamily of poxvirus encoded E3-like dsRNA binding proteins. M029 has been identified as a multifunctional protein involved in MYXV cellular and host tropism, antiviral responses, and pathogenicity in rabbits.
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Carvalho CL, Abade dos Santos FA, Monteiro M, Carvalho P, Mendonça P, Duarte MD. First cases of myxomatosis in Iberian hares (
Lepus granatensis
) in Portugal. Vet rec case rep 2020. [DOI: 10.1136/vetreccr-2019-001044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carina Luísa Carvalho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e VeterináriaVirology LaboratoryAv. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edifício sede)OeirasPortugal
| | - Fábio Alexandre Abade dos Santos
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e VeterináriaVirology LaboratoryAv. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edifício sede)OeirasPortugal
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA)Faculdade de Medicina VeterináriaUniversidadede LisboaAvenida da Universidade TécnicaLisboaPortugal
| | - Madelena Monteiro
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV)Pathology LaboratoryAv. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edifício sede)OeirasPortugal
| | - Paulo Carvalho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV)Pathology LaboratoryAv. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edifício sede)OeirasPortugal
| | - Paula Mendonça
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV)Pathology LaboratoryAv. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edifício sede)OeirasPortugal
| | - Margarida Dias Duarte
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e VeterináriaVirology LaboratoryAv. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edifício sede)OeirasPortugal
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA)Faculdade de Medicina VeterináriaUniversidadede LisboaAvenida da Universidade TécnicaLisboaPortugal
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Águeda-Pinto A, Kraberger S, Lund MC, Gortázar C, McFadden G, Varsani A, Esteves PJ. Coinfections of Novel Polyomavirus, Anelloviruses and a Recombinant Strain of Myxoma Virus-MYXV-Tol Identified in Iberian Hares. Viruses 2020; 12:E340. [PMID: 32244962 PMCID: PMC7150814 DOI: 10.3390/v12030340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses are ubiquitous in nature; however, very few have been identified in the Leporid species. In the fall of 2018, an outbreak of myxomatosis in Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) was reported in Spain and a novel recombinant myxoma virus strain (MYXV-Tol) was identified. To investigate variability within the recombinant region of the MYXV-Tol and identify any potential viral coinfections, samples (ear, eyelid or vaginal) of Iberian hares were collected from Spain and analyzed. The presence of the recombinant region of the MYXV-Tol was confirmed in six out of eleven samples analyzed. Additionally, a polyomavirus (family Polyomaviridae), representing a putative new species, and anelloviruses (family Anelloviridae) belonging to two putative species were identified, some as coinfection with the recombinant MYXV-Tol. The two polyomavirus genomes were identified in two hares and share >99% genome-wide identity. Based on the analysis of their large T-antigen, the new polyomavirus clusters in a distant clade from other mammals sharing <64% amino acid identity. A total of 14 anelloviruses were identified, which share 63-99% genome-wide identity. Overall, our results show a coinfection of different DNA viruses in the studied samples and raise awareness regarding the extensive unsampled diversity of viruses in hares.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Águeda-Pinto
- CIBIO/InBio—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal;
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines, and Virotherapy (CIVV), The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (S.K.); (G.M.)
| | - Simona Kraberger
- Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines, and Virotherapy (CIVV), The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (S.K.); (G.M.)
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine and School of Life sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA;
| | - Michael C. Lund
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine and School of Life sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA;
| | - Christian Gortázar
- SaBio Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo, 28005 Ciudad Real, Spain;
| | - Grant McFadden
- Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines, and Virotherapy (CIVV), The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (S.K.); (G.M.)
| | - Arvind Varsani
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine and School of Life sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA;
- Structural Biology Research Unit, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - Pedro J. Esteves
- CIBIO/InBio—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal;
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- CITS—Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias da Saúde, IPSN, CESPU, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
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