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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] [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] [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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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] [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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Abade dos Santos FA, Magro C, Carvalho CL, Ruivo P, Duarte MD, Peleteiro MC. A Potential Atypical Case of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease in a Dwarf Rabbit. Animals (Basel) 2020; 11:ani11010040. [PMID: 33379183 PMCID: PMC7823764 DOI: 10.3390/ani11010040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary We report an unusual clinical case in a pet rabbit vaccinated against rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV, GI.1), that developed a prolonged hepatic disease, and was diagnosed RHDV2 (GI.2) positive post-mortem. This finding is a warning to all veterinarians that rabbit haemorrhagic disease should also be considered for differential diagnosis despite the history of RHDV vaccination and the need to update vaccination programs against the current RHDV2 circulating strains. Abstract Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a highly contagious infectious disease of European wild and domestic rabbits. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV, GI.1) emerged in 1986 in Europe, rapidly spreading all over the world. Several genotypes of RHDV have been recognised over time, but in 2010, a new virus (RHDV2/RHDVb, GI.2) emerged and progressively replaced the previous RHDV strains, due to the lack of cross-immunity conferred between RHDV and RHDV2. RHDV2 has a high mutation rate, similarly to the other calivirus and recombines with strains of RHDV and non-pathogenic calicivirus (GI.4), ensuring the continuous emergence of new field strains. Although this poses a threat to the already endangered European rabbit species, the available vaccines against RHDV2 and the compliance of biosafety measures seem to be controlling the infection in the rabbit industry Pet rabbits, especially when kept indoor, are considered at lower risk of infections, although RHDV2 and myxoma virus (MYXV) constitute a permanent threat due to transmission via insects. Vaccination against these viruses is therefore recommended every 6 months (myxomatosis) or annually (rabbit haemorrhagic disease). The combined immunization for myxomatosis and RHDV through a commercially available bivalent vaccine with RHDV antigen has been extensively used (Nobivac® Myxo-RHD, MSD, Kenilworth, NJ, USA). This vaccine however does not confer proper protection against the RHDV2, thus the need for a rabbit clinical vaccination protocol update. Here we report a clinical case of hepatitis and alteration of coagulation in a pet rabbit that had been vaccinated with the commercially available bivalent vaccine against RHDV and tested positive to RHDV2 after death. The animal developed a prolonged and atypical disease, compatible with RHD. The virus was identified to be an RHDV2 recombinant strain, with the structural backbone of RHDV2 (GI.2) and the non-structural genes of non-pathogenic-A1 strains (RCV-A1, GI.4). Although confirmation of the etiological agent was only made after death, the clinical signs and analytic data were very suggestive of RHD.
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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 Lisboa, Portugal; (M.D.D.); (M.C.P.)
- 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
- Correspondence:
| | - Carolina Magro
- VetOeiras, Hospital Médico-Veterinário, Estrada de Oeiras n18-20, 2780-114 Oeiras, Portugal;
| | - Carina L. Carvalho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, I.P.), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
| | - Pedro Ruivo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (IMM), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1070-312 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Margarida D. Duarte
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal; (M.D.D.); (M.C.P.)
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, I.P.), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
| | - Maria C. Peleteiro
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal; (M.D.D.); (M.C.P.)
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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] [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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Detection of recombinant Hare Myxoma Virus in wild rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus). Viruses 2020; 12:v12101127. [PMID: 33028004 PMCID: PMC7600370 DOI: 10.3390/v12101127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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] [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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8
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Abade dos Santos FA, Monteiro M, Pinto A, Carvalho CL, Peleteiro MC, Carvalho P, Mendonça P, Carvalho T, Duarte MD. First description of a herpesvirus infection in genus Lepus. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231795. [PMID: 32302375 PMCID: PMC7164596 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During the necropsies of Iberian hares obtained in 2018/2019, along with signs of the nodular form of myxomatosis, other unexpected external lesions were also observed. Histopathology revealed nuclear inclusion bodies in stromal cells suggesting the additional presence of a nuclear replicating virus. Transmission electron microscopy further demonstrated the presence of herpesvirus particles in the tissues of affected hares. We confirmed the presence of herpesvirus in 13 MYXV-positive hares by PCR and sequencing analysis. Herpesvirus-DNA was also detected in seven healthy hares, suggesting its asymptomatic circulation. Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated partial sequences of DNA polymerase gene and glycoprotein B gene enabled greater resolution than analysing the sequences individually. The hare’ virus was classified close to herpesviruses from rodents within the Rhadinovirus genus of the gammaherpesvirus subfamily. We propose to name this new virus Leporid gammaherpesvirus 5 (LeHV-5), according to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses standards. The impact of herpesvirus infection on the reproduction and mortality of the Iberian hare is yet unknown but may aggravate the decline of wild populations caused by the recently emerged natural recombinant myxoma virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- F A Abade dos Santos
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Oeiras, Portugal
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - M Monteiro
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - A Pinto
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, Lisboa, Portugal
- EM Suite, Royal Brompton Hospital and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - C L Carvalho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - M C Peleteiro
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - P Carvalho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - P Mendonça
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - T Carvalho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - M D Duarte
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Oeiras, Portugal
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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9
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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. VETERINARY RECORD CASE REPORTS 2020. [DOI: 10.1136/vetreccr-2019-001044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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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10
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Carvalho CL, Abade dos Santos FA, Fagulha T, Carvalho P, Mendonça P, Monteiro M, Dias Duarte M. Myxoma virus and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 coinfection in a European wild rabbit (
Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus
), Portugal. VETERINARY RECORD CASE REPORTS 2020. [DOI: 10.1136/vetreccr-2019-001002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carina Luisa Carvalho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e veterinária (INIAV)Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edíficio sede)OeirasPortugal
| | - Fábio Alexandre Abade dos Santos
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e veterinária (INIAV)Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edíficio sede)OeirasPortugal
- CIISAFaculdade de Medicina VeterináriaUniversidade de LisboaAvenida da Universidade TécnicaLisboaPortugal
| | - Teresa Fagulha
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e veterinária (INIAV)Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edíficio sede)OeirasPortugal
| | - Paulo Carvalho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e veterinária (INIAV)Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edíficio sede)OeirasPortugal
| | - Paula Mendonça
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e veterinária (INIAV)Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edíficio sede)OeirasPortugal
| | - Madalena Monteiro
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e veterinária (INIAV)Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edíficio sede)OeirasPortugal
| | - Margarida Dias Duarte
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e veterinária (INIAV)Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês (edíficio sede)OeirasPortugal
- CIISAFaculdade de Medicina VeterináriaUniversidade de LisboaAvenida da Universidade TécnicaLisboaPortugal
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11
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Kwit E, Osiński Z, Rzeżutka A. Detection of viral DNA of myxoma virus using a validated PCR method with an internal amplification control. J Virol Methods 2019; 272:113709. [PMID: 31351983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2019.113709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Recognition of myxomatosis is usually based on clinical symptoms, but amyxomatous cases of the disease require the use of laboratory methods. Nowadays PCR assays are routinely employed for detection of MYXV DNA, but none of them have had their diagnostic usefulness conclusively confirmed through validation. The aim of the study was the development and validation of a PCR with an internal amplification control (IAC) for intravital and postmortem detection of viral DNA of myxoma virus. To avoid false negative results a chimeric internal amplification control (IAC) was prepared and incorporated into the PCR and amplified by the same primer set as the target DNA (M071L). The optimal concentration of particular ingredients in the PCR mixture (including IAC concentration and volume of DNA sample) was determined. To minimize the risk of amplicon carry-over contamination, uracil N-glycosylase was added to the reaction. Before proper validation the robustness of the IAC-PCR was verified. Validation of the method encompassed the following parameters: the analytical and diagnostic specificity (ASp, DSp) and sensitivity (ASe, DSe) of the assay, repeatability, and intra-laboratory reproducibility. The assay LOD was established at 2 TCIU of the virus particles/0.2 ml tissue homogenate with a 100% capacity to detect different MYXV strains (ASp). The method was characterized by good DSp of 0.955 (0.839-0.999 CI) and DSe of 0.976 (0.914-1.00 CI). In addition, it was repeatable and reproducible and confirmed its suitability for the detection of MYXV in clinical material. The IAC-PCR developed meets OIE validation requirements for virological methods and can be used in diagnostic or epidemiological studies of rabbit myxomatosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Kwit
- Department of Food and Environmental Virology, National Reference Laboratory for Rabbit Myxomatosis, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland.
| | - Zbigniew Osiński
- Department of Hygiene of Animal Feedingstuffs, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland.
| | - Artur Rzeżutka
- Department of Food and Environmental Virology, National Reference Laboratory for Rabbit Myxomatosis, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland.
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12
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Kwit E, Rzeżutka A. Molecular methods in detection and epidemiologic studies of rabbit and hare viruses: a review. J Vet Diagn Invest 2019; 31:497-508. [PMID: 31131728 DOI: 10.1177/1040638719852374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Various PCR-based assays for rabbit viruses have gradually replaced traditional virologic assays, such as virus isolation, because they offer high-throughput analysis, better test sensitivity and specificity, and allow vaccine and wild-type virus strains to be fully typed and differentiated. In addition, PCR is irreplaceable in the detection of uncultivable or fastidious rabbit pathogens or those occurring in low quantity in a tested sample. We provide herein an overview of the current state of the art in the molecular detection of lagomorph viral pathogens along with details of their targeted gene or nucleic acid sequence and recommendations for their application. Apart from the nucleic acids-based methods used for identification and comprehensive typing of rabbit viruses, novel methods such as microarray, next-generation sequencing, and mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) could also be employed given that they offer greater throughput in sample screening for viral pathogens. Molecular methods should be provided with an appropriate set of controls, including an internal amplification control, to confirm the validity of the results obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Kwit
- Department of Food and Environmental Virology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland
| | - Artur Rzeżutka
- Department of Food and Environmental Virology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland
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13
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Abade Dos Santos FA, Carvalho C, Nuno O, Correia JJ, Henriques M, Peleteiro MC, Fevereiro M, Duarte MD. Detection of rabbit Haemorrhagic disease virus 2 during the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) eradication from the Berlengas archipelago, Portugal. BMC Vet Res 2017; 13:336. [PMID: 29141631 PMCID: PMC5688637 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-017-1257-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the regular wildlife monitoring action carried out in the summer of the past few years at the Berlenga Island, wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have been repeatedly found dead. However, the origin of those deaths was never investigated. Our aim was to investigate the cause of death of 11 rabbits collected between April and May 2016. RESULTS While screening samples from rabbit carcasses for the major viral rabbit pathogens, five tested positive to RHDV2 but all were negative for RHDV and myxoma virus (MYXV). For six RHDV2-negative specimens, emaciation and parasitism were considered the most probable cause of death. Lesions identified in the RHDV2-positive rabbits included non-suppurative diffuse hepatic necrosis and pulmonary lesions varying from congestion and oedema of the lungs to interstitial pneumonia. Sequencing analysis of the vp60 gene obtained from two specimens showed identical vp60 sequences. Comparison with other known RHDV2 strains from public databases through BLAST analysis revealed a closer similarity with strains from Alentejo collected during 2013. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis showed that the 2016 strains from the archipelago have a higher resemblance with a group of strains mostly collected in the South of Portugal between 2013 and 2014. CONCLUSION The results suggest that RHDV2 may have been introduced on the Berlenga Island a few years ago, having evolved separately from mainland strains due to insularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- F A Abade Dos Santos
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa. Av. da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477, Lisbon, Portugal. .,Rua Quinta do Pinto N°5 3°D, 2660-067, Loures, Frielas, Portugal.
| | - C Carvalho
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM); Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada (IIFA), Universidade de Évora. Núcleo da Mitra, 7000, Évora, Portugal
| | - Oliveira Nuno
- Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves (SPEA), Av. Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, 87, 3º Andar, 1070-062, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - J J Correia
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa. Av. da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - M Henriques
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Laboratório de Virologia. Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - M C Peleteiro
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa. Av. da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - M Fevereiro
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Laboratório de Virologia. Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - M D Duarte
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Laboratório de Virologia. Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
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14
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Carvalho CL, Silva S, Gouveia P, Costa M, Duarte EL, Henriques AM, Barros SS, Luís T, Ramos F, Fagulha T, Fevereiro M, Duarte MD. Emergence of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 in the archipelago of Madeira, Portugal (2016-2017). Virus Genes 2017. [PMID: 28639220 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-017-1483-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We report the detection of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) in the Madeira archipelago, Portugal. Viral circulation was confirmed by RT-qPCR and vp60 sequencing. Epidemiological data revealed the outbreak initiated in October 2016 in Porto Santo affecting wild and domestic rabbits. It was then detected three months later on the island of Madeira. Five haplotypes were identified and a genetic overall similarity of 99.54 to 99.89% was observed between the two viral populations. Unique single nucleotide polymorphisms were recognised in the Madeira archipelago strains, two of which resulting in amino acid substitutions at positions 480 and 570 in the VP60 protein. Phylogenetic investigation by Maximum Likelihood showed all the vp60 sequences from the Madeira archipelago group together with high bootstraps. The analysis also showed that the Madeira archipelago strains are closely related to the strains detected in the south of mainland Portugal in 2016, suggesting a possible introduction from the mainland. The epidemiological data and high genetic similarity indicate a common source for the Porto Santo and Madeira RHDV2 outbreaks. Human activity related to hunting was most probably at the origin of the Madeira outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Luísa Carvalho
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, 7000, Évora, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada (IIFA), Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, 7000, Évora, Portugal
| | - Sara Silva
- Direção Regional para a Administração Pública do Porto Santo (DRAPS), Avenida Vieira de Castro, nº1, 9400-179, Porto Santo, Portugal
| | - Paz Gouveia
- Laboratório Regional de Veterinária e Segurança Alimentar, Direção Regional de Agricultura (DRA) da Região Autónoma da Madeira, Caminho das Quebradas de Baixo, nº 79, S. Martinho, 9000-233, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
| | - Margarida Costa
- Laboratório Regional de Veterinária e Segurança Alimentar, Direção Regional de Agricultura (DRA) da Região Autónoma da Madeira, Caminho das Quebradas de Baixo, nº 79, S. Martinho, 9000-233, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
| | - Elsa Leclerc Duarte
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, 7000, Évora, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada (IIFA), Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, 7000, Évora, Portugal
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, 7000, Évora, Portugal
| | - Ana Margarida Henriques
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sílvia Santos Barros
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Tiago Luís
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Ramos
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Teresa Fagulha
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Miguel Fevereiro
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Margarida Dias Duarte
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Av. da República, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal.
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15
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Carvalho C, Duarte E, Monteiro J, Afonso C, Pacheco J, Carvalho P, Mendonça P, Botelho A, Albuquerque T, Themudo P, Fevereiro M, Henriques A, Santos Barros S, Dias Duarte M. Progression of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 upon vaccination in an industrial rabbitry: a laboratorial approach. WORLD RABBIT SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.4995/wrs.2017.5708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
<p>Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) emerged recently in several European countries, leading to extensive economic losses in the industry. In response to this new infection, specific inactivated vaccines were developed in Europe and full and rapid setup of protective immunity induced by vaccination was reported. However, data on the efficacy of these vaccines in an ongoing-infection scenario is unavailable. In this study we investigated an infected RHDV2 indoor industrial meat rabbitry, where fatalities continued to occur after the implementation of the RHDV2 vaccination, introduced to control the disease. The aim of this study was to understand if these mortalities were RHDV2-related, to discover if the dead animals showed any common features such as age or time distance from vaccination, and to identify the source of the outbreak. Anatomo-pathological analysis of vaccinated animals with the virus showed lesions compatible with systemic haemorrhagic disease and RHDV2-RNA was detected in 85.7% of the animals tested. Sequencing of the <em>vp60</em> gene amplified from liver samples led to the recognition of RHDV2 field strains demonstrating that after the implementation of vaccination, RHDV2 continued to circulate in the premises and to cause sporadic deaths. A nearby, semi-intensive, RHDV2 infected farm belonging to the same owner was identified as the most probable source of the virus. The main risk factors for virus introduction in these two industries were identified. Despite the virus being able to infect a few of the vaccinated rabbits, the significant decrease in mortality rate observed in vaccinated adult rabbits clearly reflects the efficacy of the vaccination. Nonetheless, the time taken to control the infection also highlights the importance of RHDV2 vaccination prior to the first contact with the virus, highly recommendable in endemic areas, to mitigate the infection’s impact on the industry.</p>
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16
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Challenges in the rabbit haemorrhagic disease 2 (RHDV2) molecular diagnosis of vaccinated rabbits. Vet Microbiol 2017; 198:43-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2016.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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17
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Duarte M, Carvalho C, Bernardo S, Barros SV, Benevides S, Flor L, Monteiro M, Marques I, Henriques M, Barros SC, Fagulha T, Ramos F, Luís T, Fevereiro M. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) outbreak in Azores: Disclosure of common genetic markers and phylogenetic segregation within the European strains. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2015; 35:163-71. [PMID: 26247721 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is widespread in several countries of Western Europe, but it has not been introduced to other continents. However, between late 2014 and early 2015, the presence of RHDV2 was confirmed outside of the European continent, in the Azores, initially in the islands of Graciosa, Flores, S. Jorge and Terceira. In this study we report the subsequent detection of RHDV2 in wild rabbits from the islands of Faial, St. Maria and S. Miguel, and display the necropsy and microscopic examination data obtained, which showed lesions similar to those induced by classical strains of RHDV, with severe affection of lungs and liver. We also disclose the result of a genetic investigation carried out with RHDV2 positive samples from wild rabbits found dead in the seven islands. Partial vp60 sequences were amplified from 27 tissue samples. Nucleotide analysis showed that the Azorean strains are closely related to each other, sharing a high genetic identity (>99.15%). None of the obtained sequences were identical to any RHDV2 sequence publically known, hampering a clue for the source of the outbreaks. However, Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses disclosed that Azorean strains are more closely related to a few strains from Southern Portugal than with any others presently known. In the analysed region comprising the terminal 942 nucleotides of the vp60 gene, four new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were identified. Based on the present data, these four SNPs, which are unique in the strains from Azores, may constitute putative molecular geographic markers for Azorean RHDV2 strains, if they persist in the future. One of these variations is a non-synonymous substitution that involves the replacement of one amino acid in a hypervariable region of the capsid protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Duarte
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Virology Laboratory, Rua General Morais Sarmento, 1500-311 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Carina Carvalho
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas - ICAAM, Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, 7000 Évora, Portugal
| | - Susana Bernardo
- Laboratório Regional de Veterinária dos Açores, Vinha Brava 9700-236, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal
| | - Sílvia Vanessa Barros
- Laboratório Regional de Veterinária dos Açores, Vinha Brava 9700-236, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal
| | - Sandra Benevides
- Laboratório Regional de Veterinária dos Açores, Vinha Brava 9700-236, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal
| | - Lídia Flor
- Laboratório Regional de Veterinária dos Açores, Vinha Brava 9700-236, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal
| | - Madalena Monteiro
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Pathology Laboratory, Rua General Morais Sarmento, 1500-311 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Isabel Marques
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, 6, 2781-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Margarida Henriques
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Virology Laboratory, Rua General Morais Sarmento, 1500-311 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sílvia C Barros
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Virology Laboratory, Rua General Morais Sarmento, 1500-311 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Teresa Fagulha
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Virology Laboratory, Rua General Morais Sarmento, 1500-311 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Ramos
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Virology Laboratory, Rua General Morais Sarmento, 1500-311 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Tiago Luís
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Virology Laboratory, Rua General Morais Sarmento, 1500-311 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Miguel Fevereiro
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), Virology Laboratory, Rua General Morais Sarmento, 1500-311 Lisbon, Portugal
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