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Abstract
BackgroundAustralia 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsAntibodies 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.ImplicationsOur 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.
Highlights
As one of the most successful invasive animals world-wide, European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have long impaired the economy and environment in Australia and some areas of New Zealand [1]
When the prevalence of RCV-A1 was grouped into five categories from low to high, the sites with higher prevalence were largely clustered in the south-east of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria (VIC), and the Mount Lofty Ranges near Adelaide in South Australia (SA) (Fig. 1B)
The only site in NSW where rabbits tested negative to RCV-A1 was Montague Island which is isolated from the mainland
Summary
As one of the most successful invasive animals world-wide, European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have long impaired the economy and environment in Australia and some areas of New Zealand [1]. Effective biological control of rabbits in Australia was initiated with the introduction of myxoma virus in the early 1950s and was followed with the release of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) in 1995 [3,4,5]. The best ranked model explained 26% of PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0113976 December 8, 2014
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