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Peng NYG, Hall RN, Huang N, West P, Cox TE, Mahar JE, Mason H, Campbell S, O’Connor T, Read AJ, Patel KK, Taggart PL, Smith IL, Strive T, Jenckel M. Utilizing Molecular Epidemiology and Citizen Science for the Surveillance of Lagoviruses in Australia. Viruses 2023; 15:2348. [PMID: 38140589 PMCID: PMC10747141 DOI: 10.3390/v15122348] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Australia has multiple lagoviruses with differing pathogenicity. The circulation of these viruses was traditionally determined through opportunistic sampling events. In the lead up to the nationwide release of RHDVa-K5 (GI.1aP-GI.1a) in 2017, an existing citizen science program, RabbitScan, was augmented to allow members of the public to submit samples collected from dead leporids for lagovirus testing. This study describes the information obtained from the increased number of leporid samples received between 2015 and 2022 and focuses on the recent epidemiological interactions and evolutionary trajectory of circulating lagoviruses in Australia between October 2020 and December 2022. A total of 2771 samples were tested from January 2015 to December 2022, of which 1643 were lagovirus-positive. Notable changes in the distribution of lagovirus variants were observed, predominantly in Western Australia, where RHDV2-4c (GI.4cP-GI.2) was detected again in 2021 after initially being reported to be present in 2018. Interestingly, we found evidence that the deliberately released RHDVa-K5 was able to establish and circulate in wild rabbit populations in WA. Overall, the incorporation of citizen science approaches proved to be a cost-efficient method to increase the sampling area and enable an in-depth analysis of lagovirus distribution, genetic diversity, and interactions. The maintenance of such programs is essential to enable continued investigations of the critical parameters affecting the biocontrol of feral rabbit populations in Australia, as well as to enable the detection of any potential future incursions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nias Y. G. Peng
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; (N.Y.G.P.); (R.N.H.); (N.H.); (H.M.); (I.L.S.); (T.S.)
| | - Robyn N. Hall
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; (N.Y.G.P.); (R.N.H.); (N.H.); (H.M.); (I.L.S.); (T.S.)
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia; (P.W.); (A.J.R.); (K.K.P.); (P.L.T.)
- Ausvet Pty Ltd., Canberra, ACT 2617, Australia
| | - Nina Huang
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; (N.Y.G.P.); (R.N.H.); (N.H.); (H.M.); (I.L.S.); (T.S.)
| | - Peter West
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia; (P.W.); (A.J.R.); (K.K.P.); (P.L.T.)
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, NSW 2880, Australia;
| | - Tarnya E. Cox
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, NSW 2880, Australia;
| | - Jackie E. Mahar
- School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia;
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australian Animal Health Laboratory and Health and Biosecurity, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Hugh Mason
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; (N.Y.G.P.); (R.N.H.); (N.H.); (H.M.); (I.L.S.); (T.S.)
| | - Susan Campbell
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA, Albany, WA 6630, Australia;
| | - Tiffany O’Connor
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia; (P.W.); (A.J.R.); (K.K.P.); (P.L.T.)
- Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Menangle, NSW 2568, Australia
| | - Andrew J. Read
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia; (P.W.); (A.J.R.); (K.K.P.); (P.L.T.)
- Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Menangle, NSW 2568, Australia
| | - Kandarp K. Patel
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia; (P.W.); (A.J.R.); (K.K.P.); (P.L.T.)
- Invasive Species Unit, Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia
| | - Patrick L. Taggart
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia; (P.W.); (A.J.R.); (K.K.P.); (P.L.T.)
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620, Australia
| | - Ina L. Smith
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; (N.Y.G.P.); (R.N.H.); (N.H.); (H.M.); (I.L.S.); (T.S.)
| | - Tanja Strive
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; (N.Y.G.P.); (R.N.H.); (N.H.); (H.M.); (I.L.S.); (T.S.)
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia; (P.W.); (A.J.R.); (K.K.P.); (P.L.T.)
| | - Maria Jenckel
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; (N.Y.G.P.); (R.N.H.); (N.H.); (H.M.); (I.L.S.); (T.S.)
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2
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Structural Basis for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Antibody Specificity. J Virol 2022; 96:e0121722. [PMID: 36326275 PMCID: PMC9682983 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01217-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Isolated RHDV antibodies have been used for decades to distinguish between antigenic variants, monitor temporal capsid evolution, and examine neutralizing capacities. In this study, we provided the structural basis for an RHDV GI.2 specific diagnostic antibody (2D9) binding and reveal that a small number of amino acid substitutions at the binding site could differentiate between RHDV GI.2 and GI.1b.
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Patel KK, Strive T, Hall RN, Mutze G, Page B, Korcz M, Booth-Remmers M, Smith IL, Huang DN, Kovaliski J, Jayasinghe Ellakkala Appuhamilage RMJ, Taggart PL. Cross-protection, infection, and case fatality rates in wild European rabbits experimentally challenged with different rabbit haemorrhagic disease viruses. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:e1959-e1971. [PMID: 35315981 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14530] [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: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is now the dominant calicivirus circulating in wild rabbit populations in Australia. This study compared the infection and case fatality rates of RHDV2 and two RHDVs in wild rabbits, as well as their ability to overcome immunity to the respective other strains. Wild rabbits were allocated to groups either blindly or based on prescreening for RHDV/RHDV2 antibodies at capture. Rabbits were monitored regularly until their death or humane killing at 7 days post infection. Liver and eyeball samples were collected for lagovirus testing and aging rabbits, respectively. At capture, rabbits showed high seroprevalence to RHDV2 but not to RHDV. In RHDV/RHDV2 seronegative rabbits at capture, infection rates were highest in those inoculated with RHDV2 (81.8%, 18/22), followed by K5 (53.8%, 7/13) and CZECH (40.0%, 2/5), but these differences were not statistically significant. In rabbits with previous exposure to RHDV2 at capture, infection rates were highest when inoculated with K5 (59.6%, 31/52) followed by CZECH (46.0%, 23/50), with infection rates higher in younger rabbits for both viruses. In RHDV/RHDV2 seronegative rabbits at capture, case fatality rates were highest for those inoculated with K5 (71.4%), followed by RHDV2 (50.0%) and CZECH (50.0%). In rabbits with previous exposure to RHDV2 at capture, case fatality rates were highest in rabbits inoculated with K5 (12.9%) followed by CZECH (8.7%), with no case fatalities following RHDV2 inoculation. Case fatality rates did not differ significantly between inoculums in either serostatus group at capture. Based on multivariable modelling, time to death post RHDV inoculation increased in rabbits with recent RHDV2 exposure compared to seronegative rabbits and with age. The results suggest that RHDV2 may cause higher mortalities than other variants in seronegative rabbit populations but that K5 may be more effective in reducing rabbit populations in an RHDV2-dominant landscape. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kandarp K Patel
- Biosecurity, Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064, Australia.,School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, 5371, Australia.,Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Australian Capital Territory, Bruce, 2617, Australia
| | - Tanja Strive
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Australian Capital Territory, Bruce, 2617, Australia.,Health & Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Robyn N Hall
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Australian Capital Territory, Bruce, 2617, Australia.,Health & Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Greg Mutze
- Biosecurity, Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064, Australia
| | - Bradley Page
- Biosecurity, Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064, Australia.,Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Australian Capital Territory, Bruce, 2617, Australia
| | - Matthew Korcz
- Biosecurity, Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064, Australia
| | - Mahalia Booth-Remmers
- Biosecurity, Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064, Australia.,Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Subiaco, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
| | - Ina L Smith
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Australian Capital Territory, Bruce, 2617, Australia
| | - D Nina Huang
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Australian Capital Territory, Bruce, 2617, Australia.,Health & Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - John Kovaliski
- Biosecurity, Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064, Australia.,Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Australian Capital Territory, Bruce, 2617, Australia
| | - Ridma M J Jayasinghe Ellakkala Appuhamilage
- Biosecurity, Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064, Australia.,Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Australian Capital Territory, Bruce, 2617, Australia
| | - Patrick L Taggart
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, 5371, Australia.,Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Australian Capital Territory, Bruce, 2617, Australia.,Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Department of Primary Industries NSW, Queanbeyan, New South Wales, 2620, Australia
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4
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Calvete C, Capucci L, Lavazza A, Sarto MP, Calvo AJ, Monroy F, Calvo JH. Changes in European wild rabbit population dynamics and the epidemiology of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) in response to artificially increased viral transmission. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:2682-2696. [PMID: 34913607 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations are severely affected by rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), currently aggravated by the spread of the new lagovirus serotype RHDV2 that replaced the classical RHDV strains (RHDV/RHDVa). This virus causes high mortality in both adult and young rabbits and to date, there is no management tool to effectively reduce its impact in wild rabbit populations. This hinders the success of common strategies, such as habitat management or restocking, in areas where rabbits are native. However, the present study, conducted on enclosed wild rabbit populations, showed that spreading RHDV2 on baits during breeding periods induced infection of young rabbits, reducing mortality rates, presumably due to maternal antibody protection. This reduced the young rabbit mortality hazard by a third and more juvenile rabbits immune to RHDV2 were recruited into the adult breeding population. Young rabbits from populations in which the force of infection of RHDV2 was increased, however, exhibited considerably higher susceptibility to infection by RHDV than those from non-treated control populations. Since co-circulation of classical RHDVs was ruled out, differences in the type and degree of immunisation, the level of cross-protection and/or other unknown factors, such as the circulation of undetected non-pathogenic lagoviruses, arose as possible explanations. This meant that although the present work demonstrated the possibility of successfully modulating the impact of RHD in wild populations, the epidemiological complexity of the situation where several lagoviruses circulate requires additional research to determine final applicability of the proposed method. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Calvete
- Unidad de Producción y Sanidad Animal. Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Avda. Montañana 930, Zaragoza, 50059, España.,Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, España
| | - Lorenzo Capucci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna 'Bruno Ubertini' (IZSLER), OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Lavazza
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna 'Bruno Ubertini' (IZSLER), OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease, Brescia, Italy
| | - María P Sarto
- Unidad de Producción y Sanidad Animal. Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Avda. Montañana 930, Zaragoza, 50059, España
| | - Antonio J Calvo
- Management of Health, Food Safety and Public Health, TRAGSATEC, C/ Julián Camarillo 6 A, Madrid, 28037, Spain
| | - Fernando Monroy
- Management of Health, Food Safety and Public Health, TRAGSATEC, C/ Julián Camarillo 6 A, Madrid, 28037, Spain
| | - Jorge H Calvo
- Unidad de Producción y Sanidad Animal. Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Avda. Montañana 930, Zaragoza, 50059, España.,Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, España.,ARAID, Zaragoza, 50018, Spain
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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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6
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Pacioni C, Vaughan TG, Strive T, Campbell S, Ramsey DSL. Field validation of phylodynamic analytical methods for inference on epidemiological processes in wildlife. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:1020-1029. [PMID: 33683829 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Amongst newly developed approaches to analyse molecular data, phylodynamic models are receiving much attention because of their potential to reveal changes to viral populations over short periods. This knowledge can be very important for understanding disease impacts. However, their accuracy needs to be fully understood, especially in relation to wildlife disease epidemiology, where sampling and prior knowledge may be limited. The release of the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) as biological control in naïve rabbit populations in Australia in 1996 provides a unique data set with which to validate phylodynamic models. By comparing results obtained from RHDV sequence data with our current understanding of RHDV epidemiology in Australia, we evaluated the performances of these recently developed models. In line with our expectations, coalescent analyses detected a sharp increase in the virus population size in the first few months after release, followed by a more gradual increase. Phylodynamic analyses using a birth-death model generated effective reproductive number estimates (the average number of secondary infections per each infectious case, Re ) larger than one for most of the epochs considered. However, the possible range of the initial Re included estimates lower than one despite the known rapid spread of RHDV in Australia. Furthermore, the analyses that accounted for geographical structuring failed to converge. We argue that the difficulties that we encountered most likely stem from the fact that the samples available from 1996 to 2014 were too sparse with respect to both geographic and within outbreak coverage to adequately infer some of the model parameters. In general, while these phylodynamic analyses proved to be greatly informative in some regards, we caution that their interpretation may not be straightforward. We recommend further research to evaluate the robustness of these models to assumption violations and sensitivity to sampling regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Pacioni
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia.,School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia.,Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Bruce, ACT, Australia
| | - Timothy G Vaughan
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Strive
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Bruce, ACT, Australia.,Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Susan Campbell
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Bruce, ACT, Australia.,Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Albany, WA, Australia
| | - David S L Ramsey
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia.,Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Bruce, ACT, Australia
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7
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Schwensow N, Pederson S, Peacock D, Cooke B, Cassey P. Adaptive changes in the genomes of wild rabbits after 16 years of viral epidemics. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:3777-3794. [PMID: 32506669 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Since its introduction to control overabundant invasive European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the highly virulent rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) has caused regular annual disease outbreaks in Australian rabbit populations. Although initially reducing rabbit abundance by 60%, continent-wide, experimental evidence has since indicated increased genetic resistance in wild rabbits that have experienced RHDV-driven selection. To identify genetic adaptations, which explain the increased resistance to this biocontrol virus, we investigated genome-wide SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) allele frequency changes in a South Australian rabbit population that was sampled in 1996 (pre-RHD genomes) and after 16 years of RHDV outbreaks. We identified several SNPs with changed allele frequencies within or close to genes potentially important for increased RHD resistance. The identified genes are known to be involved in virus infections and immune reactions or had previously been identified as being differentially expressed in healthy versus acutely RHDV-infected rabbits. Furthermore, we show in a simulation study that the allele/genotype frequency changes cannot be explained by drift alone and that several candidate genes had also been identified as being associated with surviving RHD in a different Australian rabbit population. Our unique data set allowed us to identify candidate genes for RHDV resistance that have evolved under natural conditions, and over a time span that would not have been feasible in an experimental setting. Moreover, it provides a rare example of host genetic adaptations to virus-driven selection in response to a suddenly emerging infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Schwensow
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.,Centre for Applied Conservation Science, and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Stephen Pederson
- Bioinformatics Hub, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - David Peacock
- Biosecurity SA, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia
| | - Brian Cooke
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Phillip Cassey
- Centre for Applied Conservation Science, and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
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8
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Silvério D, Lopes AM, Melo-Ferreira J, Magalhães MJ, Monterroso P, Serronha A, Maio E, Alves PC, Esteves PJ, Abrantes J. Insights into the evolution of the new variant rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (GI.2) and the identification of novel recombinant strains. Transbound Emerg Dis 2018; 65:983-992. [DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. Silvério
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; CIBIO/InBIO; Vairão Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências; Departamento de Biologia; Universidade do Porto; Porto Portugal
| | - A. M. Lopes
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; CIBIO/InBIO; Vairão Portugal
- Department of Anatomy and Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine (UMIB); Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS); University of Porto; Porto Portugal
| | - J. Melo-Ferreira
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; CIBIO/InBIO; Vairão Portugal
| | - M. J. Magalhães
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; CIBIO/InBIO; Vairão Portugal
| | - P. Monterroso
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; CIBIO/InBIO; Vairão Portugal
| | - A. Serronha
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; CIBIO/InBIO; Vairão Portugal
| | - E. Maio
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; CIBIO/InBIO; Vairão Portugal
| | - P. C. Alves
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; CIBIO/InBIO; Vairão Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências; Departamento de Biologia; Universidade do Porto; Porto Portugal
- Wildlife Biology Program; University of Montana; Missoula MT USA
| | - P. J. Esteves
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; CIBIO/InBIO; Vairão Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências; Departamento de Biologia; Universidade do Porto; Porto Portugal
| | - J. Abrantes
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; CIBIO/InBIO; Vairão Portugal
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Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2; GI.2) Is Replacing Endemic Strains of RHDV in the Australian Landscape within 18 Months of Its Arrival. J Virol 2018; 92:JVI.01374-17. [PMID: 29093089 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01374-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2; Lagovirus GI.2) is a pathogenic calicivirus that affects European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and various hare (Lepus) species. GI.2 was first detected in France in 2010 and subsequently caused epidemics in wild and domestic lagomorph populations throughout Europe. In May 2015, GI.2 was detected in Australia. Within 18 months of its initial detection, GI.2 had spread to all Australian states and territories and rapidly became the dominant circulating strain, replacing Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV/GI.1) in mainland Australia. Reconstruction of the evolutionary history of 127 Australian GI.2 isolates revealed that the virus arrived in Australia at least several months before its initial description and likely circulated unnoticed in wild rabbit populations in the east of the continent prior to its detection. GI.2 sequences isolated from five hares clustered with sequences from sympatric rabbit populations sampled contemporaneously, indicating multiple spillover events into hares rather than an adaptation of the Australian GI.2 to a new host. Since the presence of GI.2 in Australia may have wide-ranging consequences for rabbit biocontrol, particularly with the release of the novel biocontrol agent GI.1a/RHDVa-K5 in March 2017, ongoing surveillance is critical to understanding the interactions of the various lagoviruses in Australia and their impact on host populations.IMPORTANCE This study describes the spread and distribution of Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (GI.2) in Australia since its first detection in May 2015. Within the first 18 months following its detection, RHDV2 spread from east to west across the continent and became the dominant strain in all mainland states of Australia. This has important implications for pest animal management and for owners of pet and farmed rabbits, as there currently is no effective vaccine available in Australia for GI.2. The closely related RHDV (GI.1) is used to control overabundant wild rabbits, a serious environmental and agricultural pest in this country, and it is currently unclear how the widespread circulation of GI.2 will impact ongoing targeted wild rabbit management operations.
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10
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Hall RN, Mahar JE, Read AJ, Mourant R, Piper M, Huang N, Strive T. A strain-specific multiplex RT-PCR for Australian rabbit haemorrhagic disease viruses uncovers a new recombinant virus variant in rabbits and hares. Transbound Emerg Dis 2017; 65:e444-e456. [PMID: 29226567 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV, or GI.1) is a calicivirus in the genus Lagovirus that has been widely utilized in Australia as a biological control agent for the management of overabundant wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations since 1996. Recently, two exotic incursions of pathogenic lagoviruses have been reported in Australia; GI.1a-Aus, previously called RHDVa-Aus, is a GI.1a virus detected in January 2014, and the novel lagovirus GI.2 (previously known as RHDV2). Furthermore, an additional GI.1a strain, GI.1a-K5 (also known as 08Q712), was released nationwide in March 2017 as a supplementary tool for wild rabbit management. To discriminate between these lagoviruses, a highly sensitive strain-specific multiplex RT-PCR assay was developed, which allows fast, cost-effective and sensitive detection of the four pathogenic lagoviruses currently known to be circulating in Australia. In addition, we developed a universal RT-qPCR assay to be used in conjunction with the multiplex assay that broadly detects all four viruses and facilitates quantification of viral RNA load in samples. These assays enable rapid detection, identification and quantification of pathogenic lagoviruses in the Australian context. Using these assays, a novel recombinant lagovirus was detected in rabbit tissue samples, which contained the non-structural genes of GI.1a-Aus and the structural genes of GI.2. This variant was also recovered from the liver of a European brown hare (Lepus europaeus). The impact of this novel recombinant on Australian wild lagomorph populations and its competitiveness in relation to circulating field strains, particularly GI.2, requires further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- R N Hall
- CSIRO, Acton, ACT, Australia.,Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Australia
| | - J E Mahar
- CSIRO, Acton, ACT, Australia.,The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - A J Read
- Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Menangle, NSW, Australia
| | | | - M Piper
- CSIRO, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - N Huang
- CSIRO, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - T Strive
- CSIRO, Acton, ACT, Australia.,Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Australia
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11
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Cooke BD, Soriguer RC. Do dingoes protect Australia's small mammal fauna from introduced mesopredators? Time to consider history and recent events. FOOD WEBS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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12
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Schwensow NI, Detering H, Pederson S, Mazzoni C, Sinclair R, Peacock D, Kovaliski J, Cooke B, Fickel J, Sommer S. Resistance to RHD virus in wild Australian rabbits: Comparison of susceptible and resistant individuals using a genomewide approach. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:4551-4561. [PMID: 28667769 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering the genes involved in disease resistance is essential if we are to understand host-pathogen coevolutionary processes. The rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) was imported into Australia in 1995 as a biocontrol agent to manage one of the most successful and devastating invasive species, the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). During the first outbreaks of the disease, RHDV caused mortality rates of up to 97%. Recently, however, increased genetic resistance to RHDV has been reported. Here, we have aimed to identify genomic differences between rabbits that survived a natural infection with RHDV and those that died in the field using a genomewide next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach. We detected 72 SNPs corresponding to 133 genes associated with survival of a RHD infection. Most of the identified genes have known functions in virus infections and replication, immune responses or apoptosis, or have previously been found to be regulated during RHD. Some of the genes identified in experimental studies, however, did not seem to play a role under natural selection regimes, highlighting the importance of field studies to complement the genomic background of wildlife diseases. Our study provides a set of candidate markers as a tool for the future scanning of wild rabbits for their resistance to RHDV. This is important both for wild rabbit populations in southern Europe where RHD is regarded as a serious problem decimating the prey of endangered predator species and for assessing the success of currently planned RHDV variant biocontrol releases in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina I Schwensow
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Harald Detering
- Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology and Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO), University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Stephen Pederson
- Bioinformatics Hub, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Camila Mazzoni
- Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Ron Sinclair
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | | | - Brian Cooke
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jörns Fickel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany.,Molecular Ecology & Evolution, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Simone Sommer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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13
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Lopes AM, Magalhães MJ, Alves PC, Esteves PJ, Abrantes J. An update on the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) strains circulating in Portugal in the 1990s: earliest detection of G3-G5 and G6. Arch Virol 2017; 162:2061-2065. [PMID: 28299483 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-017-3318-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) causes devastating effects on European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations in the Iberian Peninsula. According to the information available, only genogroup 1 strains were circulating in Iberian wild rabbits until 2011; the antigenic variant G6 has been sporadically detected in rabbitries since 2007. Here, we show for the first time that G3-G5 strains were already present in mainland Portugal in 1998 and that G6 has been circulating since at least 1999. Moreover, we report a G3-G5 strain from the Azores collected in 1998, which is the likely ancestor of Azorean G3-G5like strains. These observations improve the current knowledge on RHDV epidemiology in the Iberian Peninsula and the Azores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Lopes
- CIBIO, InBIO, Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Maria J Magalhães
- CIBIO, InBIO, Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Paulo C Alves
- CIBIO, InBIO, Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.,Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Pedro J Esteves
- CIBIO, InBIO, Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde (CESPU), Gandra, Portugal
| | - Joana Abrantes
- CIBIO, InBIO, Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
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14
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Schwensow N, Mazzoni CJ, Marmesat E, Fickel J, Peacock D, Kovaliski J, Sinclair R, Cassey P, Cooke B, Sommer S. High adaptive variability and virus-driven selection on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes in invasive wild rabbits in Australia. Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1329-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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15
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Benign Rabbit Caliciviruses Exhibit Evolutionary Dynamics Similar to Those of Their Virulent Relatives. J Virol 2016; 90:9317-29. [PMID: 27512059 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01212-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Two closely related caliciviruses cocirculate in Australia: rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and rabbit calicivirus Australia 1 (RCV-A1). RCV-A1 causes benign enteric infections in the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Australia and New Zealand, while its close relative RHDV causes a highly pathogenic infection of the liver in the same host. The comparison of these viruses provides important information on the nature and trajectory of virulence evolution, particularly as highly virulent strains of RHDV may have evolved from nonpathogenic ancestors such as RCV-A1. To determine the evolution of RCV-A1 we sequenced the full-length genomes of 44 RCV-A1 samples isolated from healthy rabbits and compared key evolutionary parameters to those of its virulent relative, RHDV. Despite their marked differences in pathogenicity and tissue tropism, RCV-A1 and RHDV have evolved in a very similar manner. Both viruses have evolved at broadly similar rates, suggesting that their dynamics are largely shaped by high background mutation rates, and both exhibit occasional recombination and an evolutionary environment dominated by purifying selection. In addition, our comparative analysis revealed that there have been multiple changes in both virulence and tissue tropism in the evolutionary history of these and related viruses. Finally, these new genomic data suggest that either RCV-A1 was introduced into Australia after the introduction of myxoma virus as a biocontrol agent in 1950 or there was drastic reduction of the rabbit population, and hence of RCV-A1 genetic diversity, perhaps coincident with the emergence of myxoma virus. IMPORTANCE The comparison of closely related viruses that differ profoundly in propensity to cause disease in their hosts offers a powerful opportunity to reveal the causes of changes in virulence and to study how such changes alter the evolutionary dynamics of these pathogens. Here we describe such a novel comparison involving two closely related RNA viruses that cocirculate in Australia, the highly virulent rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and the nonpathogenic rabbit calicivirus Australia 1 (RCV-A1). Both viruses infect the European rabbit, but they differ in virulence, tissue tropism, and mechanisms of transmission. Surprisingly, and despite these fundamental differences, RCV-A1 and RHDV have evolved at very similar (high) rates and with strong purifying selection. Furthermore, candidate key mutations were identified that may play a role in virulence and/or tissue tropism and therefore warrant further investigation.
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16
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Martin-Alonso A, Martin-Carrillo N, Garcia-Livia K, Valladares B, Foronda P. Emerging rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) at the gates of the African continent. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2016; 44:46-50. [PMID: 27321441 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Until the beginning of this decade, the genetic characterization of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) from Iberian Peninsula had revealed the existence of two genogroups, G1 and sporadically G6. In 2010, the new emerging rabbit haemorrhagic disease variant, RHDV2 or RHDVb, was described in France, from where it has rapidly spread throughout Europe, including Iberian Peninsula countries. Nevertheless, although cases of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) have been reported in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago located 100km off the coast of Morocco, no genetic characterization of RHDV had been carried out. Consequently, in order to identify the circulating RHDV strains in this archipelago, liver samples of six farm rabbits and fifteen wild rabbits were collected from several areas of the largest island, Tenerife, and analyzed for the presence of RHDV by antigen capture double antibody sandwich ELISA. In case of positive ELISA result, we amplified and sequenced two fragments of the vp60 gene, which were concatenated for phylogenetic purposes. The sequences analysis revealed the presence of RHDV2 in both farm and wild rabbits from several areas of Tenerife. This result constitutes the first finding of RHDV2 in the Canary Islands. These RHDV2 strains found in Tenerife shared two exclusive SNPs that have not been observed in the rest of RHDV2 strains. The identification of RHDV2 and the absence of classic RHDV strains in this study suggest that RHDV2 may be replacing classic strains in Tenerife, as has been also proposed in Iberian Peninsula, France and Azores. Given the proximity of the Canary Islands to the African continent, this result should raise awareness about a possible dispersal of RHDV2 from the Canary Islands to the North of Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarón Martin-Alonso
- University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico F. Sanchez s/n, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Natalia Martin-Carrillo
- University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico F. Sanchez s/n, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
| | - Katherine Garcia-Livia
- University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico F. Sanchez s/n, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
| | - Basilio Valladares
- University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico F. Sanchez s/n, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
| | - Pilar Foronda
- University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico F. Sanchez s/n, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
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17
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Esteves PJ, Abrantes J, Bertagnoli S, Cavadini P, Gavier-Widén D, Guitton JS, Lavazza A, Lemaitre E, Letty J, Lopes AM, Neimanis AS, Ruvoën-Clouet N, Le Pendu J, Marchandeau S, Le Gall-Reculé G. Emergence of Pathogenicity in Lagoviruses: Evolution from Pre-existing Nonpathogenic Strains or through a Species Jump? PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1005087. [PMID: 26540662 PMCID: PMC4634945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro José Esteves
- InBIO—Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- CESPU, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde, Gandra, Portugal
- * E-mail:
| | - Joana Abrantes
- InBIO—Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Stéphane Bertagnoli
- UMR 1225, INRA, Toulouse, France
- INP-ENVT, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Patrizia Cavadini
- Proteomic Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, Brescia, Italy
| | - Dolores Gavier-Widén
- Department of Pathology and Wildlife Diseases, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jean-Sébastien Guitton
- Department of Studies and Research, National Hunting and Wildlife Agency (ONCFS), Nantes, France
| | - Antonio Lavazza
- Virology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, Brescia, Italy
| | - Evelyne Lemaitre
- Avian and Rabbit Virology Immunology Parasitology Unit, Ploufragan-Plouzané Laboratory, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses), Ploufragan, France
- European University of Brittany, Rennes, France
| | - Jérôme Letty
- Department of Studies and Research, National Hunting and Wildlife Agency (ONCFS), Nantes, France
| | - Ana Margarida Lopes
- InBIO—Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Aleksija S. Neimanis
- Department of Pathology and Wildlife Diseases, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | | | - Stéphane Marchandeau
- Department of Studies and Research, National Hunting and Wildlife Agency (ONCFS), Nantes, France
| | - Ghislaine Le Gall-Reculé
- Avian and Rabbit Virology Immunology Parasitology Unit, Ploufragan-Plouzané Laboratory, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses), Ploufragan, France
- European University of Brittany, Rennes, France
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18
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Urakova N, Frese M, Hall RN, Liu J, Matthaei M, Strive T. Expression and partial characterisation of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus non-structural proteins. Virology 2015; 484:69-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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19
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Resolving the Origin of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus: Insights from an Investigation of the Viral Stocks Released in Australia. J Virol 2015; 89:12217-20. [PMID: 26378178 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01937-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To resolve the evolutionary history of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), we performed a genomic analysis of the viral stocks imported and released as a biocontrol measure in Australia, as well as a global phylogenetic analysis. Importantly, conflicts were identified between the sequences determined here and those previously published that may have affected evolutionary rate estimates. By removing likely erroneous sequences, we show that RHDV emerged only shortly before its initial description in China.
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20
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Wells K, Brook BW, Lacy RC, Mutze GJ, Peacock DE, Sinclair RG, Schwensow N, Cassey P, O'Hara RB, Fordham DA. Timing and severity of immunizing diseases in rabbits is controlled by seasonal matching of host and pathogen dynamics. J R Soc Interface 2015; 12:rsif.2014.1184. [PMID: 25566883 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2014.1184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases can exert a strong influence on the dynamics of host populations, but it remains unclear why such disease-mediated control only occurs under particular environmental conditions. We used 16 years of detailed field data on invasive European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Australia, linked to individual-based stochastic models and Bayesian approximations, to test whether (i) mortality associated with rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is driven primarily by seasonal matches/mismatches between demographic rates and epidemiological dynamics and (ii) delayed infection (arising from insusceptibility and maternal antibodies in juveniles) are important factors in determining disease severity and local population persistence of rabbits. We found that both the timing of reproduction and exposure to viruses drove recurrent seasonal epidemics of RHD. Protection conferred by insusceptibility and maternal antibodies controlled seasonal disease outbreaks by delaying infection; this could have also allowed escape from disease. The persistence of local populations was a stochastic outcome of recovery rates from both RHD and myxomatosis. If susceptibility to RHD is delayed, myxomatosis will have a pronounced effect on population extirpation when the two viruses coexist. This has important implications for wildlife management, because it is likely that such seasonal interplay and disease dynamics has a strong effect on long-term population viability for many species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstans Wells
- The Environment Institute and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Barry W Brook
- The Environment Institute and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Robert C Lacy
- Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield, IL 60513, USA
| | - Greg J Mutze
- Department of Primary Industries and Regions, Biosecurity SA, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - David E Peacock
- Department of Primary Industries and Regions, Biosecurity SA, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Ron G Sinclair
- Department of Primary Industries and Regions, Biosecurity SA, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Nina Schwensow
- The Environment Institute and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Phillip Cassey
- The Environment Institute and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Robert B O'Hara
- Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BIK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Damien A Fordham
- The Environment Institute and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
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21
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Comparative Phylodynamics of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus in Australia and New Zealand. J Virol 2015; 89:9548-58. [PMID: 26157125 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01100-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The introduction of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) into Australia and New Zealand during the 1990s as a means of controlling feral rabbits is an important case study in viral emergence. Both epidemics are exceptional in that the founder viruses share an origin and the timing of their release is known, providing a unique opportunity to compare the evolution of a single virus in distinct naive populations. We examined the evolution and spread of RHDV in Australia and New Zealand through a genome-wide evolutionary analysis, including data from 28 newly sequenced RHDV field isolates. Following the release of the Australian inoculum strain into New Zealand, no subsequent mixing of the populations occurred, with viruses from both countries forming distinct groups. Strikingly, the rate of evolution in the capsid gene was higher in the Australian viruses than in those from New Zealand, most likely due to the presence of transient deleterious mutations in the former. However, estimates of both substitution rates and population dynamics were strongly sample dependent, such that small changes in sample composition had an important impact on evolutionary parameters. Phylogeographic analysis revealed a clear spatial structure in the Australian RHDV strains, with a major division between those viruses from western and eastern states. Importantly, RHDV sequences from the state where the virus was first released, South Australia, had the greatest diversity and were diffuse throughout both geographic lineages, such that this region was likely a source population for the subsequent spread of the virus across the country. IMPORTANCE Most studies of viral emergence lack detailed knowledge about which strains were founders for the outbreak or when these events occurred. Hence, the human-mediated introduction of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) into Australia and New Zealand from known starting stocks provides a unique opportunity to understand viral evolution and emergence. Within Australia, we revealed a major phylogenetic division between viruses sampled from the east and west of the country, with both regions likely seeded by viruses from South Australia. Despite their common origins, marked differences in evolutionary rates were observed between the Australian and New Zealand RHDV, which led to conflicting conclusions about population growth rates. An analysis of mutational patterns suggested that evolutionary rates have been elevated in the Australian viruses, at least in part due to the presence of low-fitness (deleterious) variants that have yet to be selectively purged.
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22
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Lopes AM, Dalton KP, Magalhães MJ, Parra F, Esteves PJ, Holmes EC, Abrantes J. Full genomic analysis of new variant rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus revealed multiple recombination events. J Gen Virol 2015; 96:1309-1319. [PMID: 25626685 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.000070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), a Lagovirus of the family Caliciviridae, causes rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) in the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). The disease was first documented in 1984 in China and rapidly spread worldwide. In 2010, a new RHDV variant emerged, tentatively classified as 'RHDVb'. RHDVb is characterized by affecting vaccinated rabbits and those <2 months old, and is genetically distinct (~20 %) from older strains. To determine the evolution of RHDV, including the new variant, we generated 28 full-genome sequences from samples collected between 1994 and 2014. Phylogenetic analysis of the gene encoding the major capsid protein, VP60, indicated that all viruses sampled from 2012 to 2014 were RHDVb. Multiple recombination events were detected in the more recent RHDVb genomes, with a single major breakpoint located in the 5' region of VP60. This breakpoint divides the genome into two regions: one that encodes the non-structural proteins and another that encodes the major and minor structural proteins, VP60 and VP10, respectively. Additional phylogenetic analysis of each region revealed two types of recombinants with distinct genomic backgrounds. Recombinants always include the structural proteins of RHDVb, with non-structural proteins from non-pathogenic lagoviruses or from pathogenic genogroup 1 strains. Our results show that in contrast to the evolutionary history of older RHDV strains, recombination plays an important role in generating diversity in the newly emerged RHDVb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Lopes
- INSERM, UMR892, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,CIBIO, InBIO - Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Kevin P Dalton
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Maria J Magalhães
- CIBIO, InBIO - Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Francisco Parra
- Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pedro J Esteves
- CITS, Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias da Saúde, IPSN, CESPU, Gandra, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,CIBIO, InBIO - Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Edward C Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Biological Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Joana Abrantes
- CIBIO, InBIO - Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
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23
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Liu J, Fordham DA, Cooke BD, Cox T, Mutze G, Strive T. Distribution and prevalence of the Australian non-pathogenic rabbit calicivirus is correlated with rainfall and temperature. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113976. [PMID: 25486092 PMCID: PMC4259302 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 11/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Australia relies heavily on rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) for the biological control of introduced European wild rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, which are significant economic and environmental pests. An endemic non-pathogenic rabbit calicivirus termed RCV-A1 also occurs in wild rabbits in Australian and provides partial protection against lethal RHDV infection, thus interfering with effective rabbit control. Despite its obvious importance for rabbit population management, little is known about the epidemiology of this benign rabbit calicivirus. METHODS We determined the continent-wide distribution and prevalence of RCV-A1 by analysing 1,805 serum samples from wild rabbit populations at 78 sites across Australia for the presence of antibodies to RCV-A1 using a serological test that specifically detects RCV-A1 antibodies and does not cross-react with co-occurring RHDV antibodies. We also investigated possible correlation between climate variables and prevalence of RCV-A1 by using generalised linear mixed effect models. RESULTS Antibodies to RCV-A1 were predominantly detected in rabbit populations in cool, high rainfall areas of the south-east and south-west of the continent. There was strong support for modelling RCV-A1 prevalence as a function of average annual rainfall and minimum temperature. The best ranked model explained 26% of the model structural deviance. According to this model, distribution and prevalence of RCV-A1 is positively correlated with periods of above average rainfall and negatively correlated with periods of drought. IMPLICATIONS Our statistical model of RCV-A1 prevalence will greatly increase our understanding of RCV-A1 epidemiology and its interaction with RHDV in Australia. By defining the environmental conditions associated with the prevalence of RCV-A1, it also contributes towards understanding the distribution of similar viruses in New Zealand and Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- June Liu
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Ecosystem Sciences Division, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
- Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Damien A. Fordham
- The Environment Institute and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Brian D. Cooke
- Institute of Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
- Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Tarnya Cox
- Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department Primary Industries, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia
| | - Greg Mutze
- Natural Resources Management Biosecurity Unit, Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Tanja Strive
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Ecosystem Sciences Division, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
- Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
- * E-mail:
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24
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Viral biocontrol: grand experiments in disease emergence and evolution. Trends Microbiol 2014; 23:83-90. [PMID: 25455418 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Although viral emergence is commonly associated with cross-species transmission, the processes and determinants of viral evolution in a novel host environment are poorly understood. We address key questions in virus emergence and evolution using data generated from two unique natural experiments: the deliberate release of myxoma virus (MYXV) and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) as biological control (biocontrol) agents against the European rabbit in Australia, and which have been of enormous benefit to Australia's ecosystem and agricultural industries. Notably, although virulence evolution in MYXV and RHDV followed different trajectories, a strongly parallel evolutionary process was observed in Australia and Europe. These biocontrol agents were also characterized by a lack of transmission to nontarget host species, suggesting that there are major barriers to successful emergence.
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25
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Detection of RHDV strains in the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis): earliest evidence of rabbit lagovirus cross-species infection. Vet Res 2014; 45:94. [PMID: 25248407 PMCID: PMC4189657 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-014-0094-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is a highly lethal Lagovirus, family Caliciviridae, that threatens European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Although a related virus severely affects hares, cross-species infection was only recently described for new variant RHDV in Cape hares (Lepus capensis mediterraneus). We sequenced two strains from dead Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) collected in the 1990s in Portugal. Clinical signs were compatible with a Lagovirus infection. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete capsid gene positioned them in the RHDV genogroup that circulated on the Iberian Peninsula at that time. This is the earliest evidence of RHDV affecting a species other than European rabbits.
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26
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Molecular evolution and antigenic variation of European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV). Virology 2014; 468-470:104-112. [PMID: 25155199 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV) is the aetiological agent of European brown hare syndrome (EBHS), a disease affecting Lepus europaeus and Lepus timidus first diagnosed in Sweden in 1980. To characterize EBHSV evolution we studied hare samples collected in Sweden between 1982 and 2008. Our molecular clock dating is compatible with EBHSV emergence in the 1970s. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two lineages: Group A persisted until 1989 when it apparently suffered extinction; Group B emerged in the mid-1980s and contains the most recent strains. Antigenic differences exist between groups, with loss of reactivity of some MAbs over time, which are associated with amino acid substitutions in recognized epitopes. A role for immune selection is also supported by the presence of positively selected codons in exposed regions of the capsid. Hence, EBHSV evolution is characterized by replacement of Group A by Group B viruses, suggesting that the latter possess a selective advantage.
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Elsworth P, Cooke BD, Kovaliski J, Sinclair R, Holmes EC, Strive T. Increased virulence of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus associated with genetic resistance in wild Australian rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Virology 2014; 464-465:415-423. [PMID: 25146599 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The release of myxoma virus (MYXV) and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) in Australia with the aim of controlling overabundant rabbits has provided a unique opportunity to study the initial spread and establishment of emerging pathogens, as well as their co-evolution with their mammalian hosts. In contrast to MYXV, which attenuated shortly after its introduction, rapid attenuation of RHDV has not been observed. By studying the change in virulence of recent field isolates at a single field site we show, for the first time, that RHDV virulence has increased through time, likely because of selection to overcome developing genetic resistance in Australian wild rabbits. High virulence also appears to be favoured as rabbit carcasses, rather than diseased animals, are the likely source of mechanical insect transmission. These findings not only help elucidate the co-evolutionary interaction between rabbits and RHDV, but reveal some of the key factors shaping virulence evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Elsworth
- Robert Wicks Pest Animal Research Centre, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia; Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Canberra, Australia
| | - Brian D Cooke
- Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Canberra, Australia; University of Canberra, Institute for Applied Ecology, ACT, Canberra, Australia
| | - John Kovaliski
- Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Canberra, Australia; Biosecurity South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ronald Sinclair
- Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Canberra, Australia; Biosecurity South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Edward C Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases & Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Biological Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Tanja Strive
- Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Canberra, Australia; CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra, ACT, Australia; CSIRO Biosecurity Flagship, Canberra, Australia.
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28
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Schwensow NI, Cooke B, Kovaliski J, Sinclair R, Peacock D, Fickel J, Sommer S. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease: virus persistence and adaptation in Australia. Evol Appl 2014; 7:1056-67. [PMID: 25553067 PMCID: PMC4231595 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In Australia, the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) has been used since 1996 to reduce numbers of introduced European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) which have a devastating impact on the native Australian environment. RHDV causes regular, short disease outbreaks, but little is known about how the virus persists and survives between epidemics. We examined the initial spread of RHDV to show that even upon its initial spread, the virus circulated continuously on a regional scale rather than persisting at a local population level and that Australian rabbit populations are highly interconnected by virus-carrying flying vectors. Sequencing data obtained from a single rabbit population showed that the viruses that caused an epidemic each year seldom bore close genetic resemblance to those present in previous years. Together, these data suggest that RHDV survives in the Australian environment through its ability to spread amongst rabbit subpopulations. This is consistent with modelling results that indicated that in a large interconnected rabbit meta-population, RHDV should maintain high virulence, cause short, strong disease outbreaks but show low persistence in any given subpopulation. This new epidemiological framework is important for understanding virus–host co-evolution and future disease management options of pest species to secure Australia's remaining natural biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina I Schwensow
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin, Germany ; School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Brian Cooke
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Joerns Fickel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin, Germany ; Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam University Potsdam, Germany
| | - Simone Sommer
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin, Germany ; Institute of Experimental Ecology (M25), University of Ulm Ulm, Germany
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29
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Esteves PJ, Lopes AM, Magalhães MJ, Pinheiro A, Gonçalves D, Abrantes J. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus detected in Pico, Azores, Portugal, revealed a unique endemic strain with more than 17 years of independent evolution. Viruses 2014; 6:2698-707. [PMID: 25025834 PMCID: PMC4113788 DOI: 10.3390/v6072698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease is caused by a calicivirus, rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), which is responsible for high mortality in domestic and wild European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). RHDV strains were sequenced from wild European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus) collected in the Azorean island of Pico, Portugal. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the Pico RHDV strains diverge from all of the others described so far, but cluster with the genogroups 1–5 (G1–G5). The genetic distance between the Pico RHDV sequences and each G1, G2 and G3–G5 genogroup (~0.08) is compatible with an RHDV introduction at least 17 years ago. Our results show that in Pico, RHDV is the outcome of an independent evolution from the original RHDV strain that appeared in its European rabbit population. These are the first sequences of RHDV obtained in the subspecies O. c. algirus, outside of its original region, the Iberian Peninsula. Furthermore, we discuss the risk of rabbit translocations from the Azores to the Iberian Peninsula, where the rabbit wild populations are suffering high mortalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro J Esteves
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado (CIBIO), Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal.
| | - Ana M Lopes
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado (CIBIO), Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal.
| | - Maria J Magalhães
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado (CIBIO), Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal.
| | - Ana Pinheiro
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado (CIBIO), Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal.
| | - David Gonçalves
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado (CIBIO), Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal.
| | - Joana Abrantes
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado (CIBIO), Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal.
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Matthaei M, Kerr PJ, Read AJ, Hick P, Haboury S, Wright JD, Strive T. Comparative quantitative monitoring of rabbit haemorrhagic disease viruses in rabbit kittens. Virol J 2014; 11:109. [PMID: 24913134 PMCID: PMC4060863 DOI: 10.1186/1743-422x-11-109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Only one strain (the Czech CAPM-v351) of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) has been released in Australia and New Zealand to control pest populations of the European rabbit O. cuniculus. Antigenic variants of RHDV known as RHDVa strains are reportedly replacing RHDV strains in other parts of the world, and Australia is currently investigating the usefulness of RHDVa to complement rabbit biocontrol efforts in Australia and New Zealand. RHDV efficiently kills adult rabbits but not rabbit kittens, which are more resistant to RHD the younger they are and which may carry the virus without signs of disease for prolonged periods. These different infection patterns in young rabbits may significantly influence RHDV epidemiology in the field and hence attempts to control rabbit numbers. Methods We quantified RHDV replication and shedding in 4–5 week old rabbits using quantitative real time PCR to assess their potential to shape RHDV epidemiology by shedding and transmitting virus. We further compared RHDV-v351 with an antigenic variant strain of RHDVa in kittens that is currently being considered as a potential RHDV strain for future release to improve rabbit biocontrol in Australia. Results Kittens were susceptible to infection with virus doses as low as 10 ID50. Virus growth, shedding and transmission after RHDVa infection was found to be comparable or non-significantly lower compared to RHDV. Virus replication and shedding was observed in all kittens infected, but was low in comparison to adult rabbits. Both viruses were shed and transmitted to bystander rabbits. While blood titres indicated that 4–5 week old kittens mostly clear the infection even in the absence of maternal antibodies, virus titres in liver, spleen and mesenteric lymph node were still high on day 5 post infection. Conclusions Rabbit kittens are susceptible to infection with very low doses of RHDV, and can transmit virus before they seroconvert. They may therefore play an important role in RHDV field epidemiology, in particular for virus transmission within social groups during virus outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Tanja Strive
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - Ecosystem Sciences, ACT 2601 Black Mountain, Australia.
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Mutze GJ, Sinclair RG, Peacock DE, Capucci L, Kovaliski J. Is increased juvenile infection the key to recovery of wild rabbit populations from the impact of rabbit haemorrhagic disease? EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-014-0811-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Holmes EC. Pandemics–Keep Calm and Carry On. PLoS Biol 2014. [PMCID: PMC3913555 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary biologist Edward Holmes reviews Peter Doherty's book, Pandemics: What Everyone Needs to Know.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward C. Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- * E-mail:
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33
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Mutze G, Bird P, Jennings S, Peacock D, de Preu N, Kovaliski J, Cooke B, Capucci L. Recovery of South Australian rabbit populations from the impact of rabbit haemorrhagic disease. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2014. [DOI: 10.1071/wr14107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Recovery of Australian rabbit populations from the impact of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) contrasts with more prolonged suppression of wild rabbits in Europe, and has been widely discussed in the scientific community, but not yet documented in formal scientific literature. The underlying causes of recovery remain unclear, but resistance to RHDV infection has been reported in laboratory studies of wild-caught rabbits.
Aims
We document numerical changes in two South Australian wild rabbit populations that were initially suppressed by RHDV, and examine serological data to evaluate several alternative hypotheses for the cause of recovery.
Methods
Rabbit numbers were assessed from spotlight transect counts and dung mass transects between 1991 and 2011, and age and RHDV antibody sero-prevalence were estimated from rabbits shot in late summer.
Key results
Rabbit numbers were heavily suppressed by RHDV between 1995 and 2002, then increased 5- to 10-fold between 2003 and 2010. During the period of increase, annual RHDV infection rates remained stable or increased slightly, average age of rabbits remained stable and annual rainfall was below average.
Conclusions
Rabbit populations recovered but neither avoidance of RHDV infection, gradual accumulation of long-lived RHD-immune rabbits, nor high pasture productivity were contributing factors. This leaves increased annual survival from RHDV infection as the most likely cause of recovery.
Implications
Previously documented evidence of resistance to RHDV infection may be of little consequence to post-RHD recovery in rabbit numbers, unless the factors that influence the probability of infection also shape the course of infection and affect survival of infected rabbits.
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