Identification and characterization of the virus causing rabbit hemorrhagic disease

Abstract

Liver tissue from animals that died of rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) was used to identify the causative agent. After extraction of liver homogenates and sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation, distinct bands were obtained. The respective gradient fractions reacted positively in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as well as in hemagglutination assays and were infective for rabbits. These fractions contained virions which had a diameter of 40 nm and resembled morphologically those of the family Caliciviridae. By immunoblotting, a major structural protein with a molecular weight of 60,000 was identified. Highly pure RNA of about 8 kilobases was isolated from virions. Labeled cDNA synthesized from virion RNA detected two RNAs of 8 and 2 kilobases in Northern (RNA) blots of liver RNA from animals infected with RHD virus. Finally, isolated virion RNA injected into the liver of rabbits produced a disease with clinical symptoms and pathological findings typical of RHD. We conclude that a calicivirus represents the causative agent of RHD.

Genetic diversity of porcine sapoviruses

“…The family www.elsevier.com/locate/vetmic Veterinary Microbiology 122 (2007) [246][247][248][249][250][251][252][253][254][255][256][257] Caliciviridae is divided into at least four genera: Vesivirus, Lagovirus, Norovirus (NoV), and Sapovirus (SaV) with a new proposed genus, NB-like (Smiley et al, 2002), based on genomic organization and genetic analysis (Green et al, 2000). Caliciviruses are associated with a wide range of economically important diseases in animals, including humans (Geissler et al, 1997;Green et al, 2001;Ohlinger et al, 1990).…”

Metagenomics revealing new virus species in farm and pet animals and aquaculture

“…Several advances have been gathered using sequence-independent assays and deep sequencing for caliciviruses (ssRNA 1 ) of pets. Caliciviruses include important enteric pathogens of humans (noroviruses and sapoviruses) (Lindsay et al, 2015;Oka et al, 2015) and animal viruses (Harrison et al, 2007;Radford et al, 2009;Ohlinger et al, 1990). In 2008 noroviruses were first discovered in dogs (Martella et al, 2008).…”

Mucosal Vaccine Development for Veterinary and Aquatic Diseases

“…Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a lethal disease of adult rabbits caused by rabbit calicivirus [25]. Oral immunization of rabbits with recombinant vaccinia virus [26] or recombinant myxoma virus [27] coding for VP60, the major structural protein of RHD virus (RHDV) induced protection against challenge with virulent RHDV.…”