Letter - Could the new rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus variant (RHDVb) be fully replacing classical RHD strains in the Iberian Peninsula?

Calvete, C.; Sarto, P.; Calvo, A. J.; Monroy, Fernando P.; Calvo, J.H.

doi:10.4995/wrs.2014.1715

Cited by 36 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…All RHDV-positive rabbits were infected with RHDV2, which is in agreement with other studies in the Iberian Peninsula1617. The majority of the rabbits found dead in the field were RHDV2-positive while for hunted and roadkilled rabbits these were a minor fraction (10.9%).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…However, a new variant of RHDV (RHDV2 or RHDVb) reached Spain in 201114, and Portugal in 201215. Currently, it has been the only etiological agent detected in Iberian rabbits, suggesting that it might have completely replaced G1 strains1617. Although the rapid spread of this new variant has been associated with further rabbit population declines1819, its impact on Mediterranean trophic webs has not been assessed.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Disease-mediated bottom-up regulation: An emergent virus affects a keystone prey, and alters the dynamics of trophic webs

Monterroso

Garrote

Serronha

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Emergent diseases may alter the structure and functioning of ecosystems by creating new biotic interactions and modifying existing ones, producing cascading processes along trophic webs. Recently, a new variant of the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV2 or RHDVb) arguably caused widespread declines in a keystone prey in Mediterranean ecosystems - the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). We quantitatively assess the impact of RHDV2 on natural rabbit populations and in two endangered apex predator populations: the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) and the Spanish Imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti). We found 60–70% declines in rabbit populations, followed by decreases of 65.7% in Iberian lynx and 45.5% in Spanish Imperial eagle fecundities. A revision of the web of trophic interactions among rabbits and their dependent predators suggests that RHDV2 acts as a keystone species, and may steer Mediterranean ecosystems to management-dependent alternative states, dominated by simplified mesopredator communities. This model system stresses the importance of diseases as functional players in the dynamics of trophic webs.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

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confidence: 99%

Disease-mediated bottom-up regulation: An emergent virus affects a keystone prey, and alters the dynamics of trophic webs

Monterroso

Garrote

Serronha

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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“…An alternative, but less likely hypothesis, is that these rabbits could have been vaccinated with a commercial vaccine against classic RHDV (e.g., as a hunting management). Regardless, replacement has also been suggested in the Canary Islands (Martín‐Alonso et al., ), as well as an analogous situation has been reported in France and Spain, where the GI.2 appears to be replacing GI.1d and GI.1b, respectively (Calvete, Sarto, Calvo, Monroy, & Calvo, ; Dalton et al., ; Le Gall‐Reculé et al., ). Additionally, GI.2 has recombined with non‐pathogenic (GI.4) and GI.1b pathogenic forms in the Iberian Peninsula, generating diversity in the circulating lagoviruses (Lopes, Correia et al., ), although recombinant viruses could not be detected with the methods used in this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Epidemiology of RHDV2 (Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2) in free-living wild European rabbits in Portugal

Rouco

Abrantes

Serronha

et al. 2017

Transbound Emerg Dis

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As the detection of the first outbreak of a novel aetiological agent of rabbit haemorrhagic disease commonly called RHDV2 or RHDVb (Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2, henceforth GI.2) in France in 2010, the virus rapidly spread throughout continental Europe and nearby islands such as Great Britain, Sardinia, Sicily, the Azores and the Canary Islands among others. The outbreaks of this new lagovirus cause important economic losses in rabbitries, and ecological disruptions by affecting the conservation of rabbit-sensitive top predators. We analysed 550 rabbit carcasses collected in the field between May 2013 and March 2016, to investigate the epidemiology of GI.2 in free-living populations and to perform a comparative analysis with the epidemiology of classical rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus forms (RHDV, henceforth GI.1) in Portugal. Rabbits were sexed, aged and liver and blood samples were collected for subsequent RHDV screening and serology. A total of 172 samples were PCR-positive to GI.2, whereas GI.1 strains were not detected in any of the samples. The outbreaks of GI.2 revealed a marked seasonality, with peaks during the breeding season (November-May). We also found that approximately, one-third of free-ranging European rabbits in Portugal have seroconverted to GI.2. We demonstrate that the GI.2 lagovirus is currently widespread in wild populations in Portugal and is affecting a high proportion of adults and juveniles. Therefore, ongoing monitoring and surveillance are required to assess the effects of GI.2 on wild rabbit populations, its evolution, and to guide management actions aimed at mitigating the impacts of rabbit declines in the ecosystem and in rural economies.

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“…Conservation of these species may be compromised if rabbit populations continue to decrease. In addition, this new variant is becoming predominant over former circulating strains (Calvete, Sarto, Calvo, Monroy, & Calvo, ; Lopes, Correia et al., ; Mahar et al., ), although the mechanisms underlying such replacement are yet unknown. Recombination has been reported in Iberian GI.2 genomes, with a breakpoint at the RdRp/VP60 boundary.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the evolution of the new variant rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (GI.2) and the identification of novel recombinant strains

Silvério

Lopes

Melo‐Ferreira³

et al. 2018

Transbound Emerg Dis

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Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a viral disease that affects the European rabbit. RHD was detected in 1984 in China and rapidly disseminated worldwide causing a severe decline in wild rabbit populations. The aetiological agent, rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), is an RNA virus of the family Caliciviridae, genus Lagovirus. Pathogenic (G1-G6 or variants GI.1a-GI.1d) and non-pathogenic strains (GI.4) have been characterized. In 2010, a new variant of RHDV, RHDV2/RHDVb/GI.2, was detected in France. GI.2 arrived to the Iberian Peninsula in 2011, and several recombination events were reported. Here, we sequenced full genomes of 19 samples collected in Portugal between 2014 and 2016. New GI.2 recombinant strains were detected, including triple recombinants. These recombinants possess a non-structural protein p16 related to a non-pathogenic strain. Evolutionary analyses were conducted on GI.2 VP60 sequences. Estimated time to the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) suggests an emergence of GI.2 in July 2008, not distant from its first detection in 2010. This is the first study on GI.2 evolution and highlights the need of continued monitoring and characterization of complete genome sequences when studying lagoviruses' evolution.

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Letter - Could the new rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus variant (RHDVb) be fully replacing classical RHD strains in the Iberian Peninsula?

Cited by 36 publications

References 3 publications

Disease-mediated bottom-up regulation: An emergent virus affects a keystone prey, and alters the dynamics of trophic webs

Disease-mediated bottom-up regulation: An emergent virus affects a keystone prey, and alters the dynamics of trophic webs

Epidemiology of RHDV2 (Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2) in free-living wild European rabbits in Portugal

Insights into the evolution of the new variant rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (GI.2) and the identification of novel recombinant strains

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