Viral Infections of Rabbits

Abstract

Viral diseases of rabbits have been used historically to study oncogenesis (e.g. rabbit fibroma virus, cottontail rabbit papillomavirus) and biologically to control feral rabbit populations (e.g. myxoma virus). However, clinicians seeing pet rabbits in North America infrequently encounter viral diseases although myxomatosis may be seen occasionally. The situation is different in Europe and Australia, where myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease are endemic. Advances in epidemiology and virology have led to detection of other lapine viruses that are now recognized as agents of emerging infectious diseases. Rabbit caliciviruses, related to rabbit hemorrhagic disease, are generally avirulent, but lethal variants are being identified in Europe and North America. Enteric viruses including lapine rotavirus, rabbit enteric coronavirus and rabbit astrovirus are being acknowledged as contributors to the multifactorial enteritis complex of juvenile rabbits. Three avirulent leporid herpesviruses are found in domestic rabbits. A fourth highly pathogenic virus designated leporid herpesvirus 4 has been described in Canada and Alaska. This review considers viruses affecting rabbits by their clinical significance. Viruses of major and minor clinical significance are described, and viruses of laboratory significance are mentioned.

Biology and Diseases of Rabbits

“…Etiology Myxomatosis is caused by myxoma virus, a member of the family Poxviridae, genus Leporipoxvirus (Kerr and Donnelly, 2013;Spiesschaert et al, 2011).…”

“…Affected animals also exhibit edema around the mouth, nose, anus, and genitals as well as progressive conjunctivitis with serous and mucopurulent secretions from the eyes and nose (Brabb and Di Giacomo, 2012;Kerr and Donnelly, 2013;Spiesschaert et al, 2011). Rabbits of the genus Oryctolagus are particularly susceptible and often develop a fatal disease characterized by mucinous skin lesions and tumors.…”

“…Pathology Histopathology shows these 'myxomas' to be composed of undifferentiated stellate mesenchymal cells embedded in a matrix of mucinous material and interspersed with capillaries and inflammatory cells (Brabb and Di Giacomo, 2012;Kerr and Donnelly, 2013).…”

“…Fibromatosis is endemic in wild rabbits; however, an outbreak in commercial rabbits caused extensive mortality (Joiner et al, 1971). The disease is probably spread by arthropods (Brabb and Di Giacomo, 2012;Kerr and Donnelly, 2013). The disease is probably spread by arthropods (Brabb and Di Giacomo, 2012;Kerr and Donnelly, 2013).…”

Investigation of neuropathogenesis and control of an equine-pathogenic Australian West Nile virus isolate in an established CD1 Swiss white mouse and a novel rabbit model

“…CTRs have been reported to exhibit greater resistance to myxoma and cottontail rabbit papilloma virus challenge, relative to NZWRs [339][340][341]. Recent genomic studies have highlighted differences in certain chemokine genes, such as CCL8, between CTRs and NZWRs [342], which may explain the difference in the susceptibility to viruses between the two species.…”