Abstract
Our understanding of molecular biology of the viruses that infect lagomorphs is largely limited to the leporipoxvirus myxoma virus (MYXV) and the lagoviruses rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV) that infect the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) respectively. Thanks to the great effort of historic surveillance studies and careful sample archiving, the molecular evolution of these viruses is being resolved. Although historically considered viruses that cause species specific diseases recent reports show that several lagomorphs may now face the threat of these maladies. The driving factors behind these changes has not been determined and the effect of these species jumps on lagomorph populations has yet to be seen. Lagomorphs are also affected by several other lesser studied viral diseases. In addition, recent metagenomic studies have led to the identification of novel lagomorph viruses the importance of these to lagomorph health remains to be fully determined. In this chapter we summarize molecular aspects of viruses that infect lagomorphs, paying particular attention to recent interspecies infections.
Highlights
Two viral diseases affecting Leporidae are listed in the World Organization for Animal Health Terrestrial Manual for animals, myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease
This breakpoint was associated with several independent recombination events involving non-pathogenic strains, GI.1 and/or GI.2 resulting in different genomic combinations that persisted in the Portuguese wild rabbit populations [187, 197], and recombinant strains detected in Azores Islands and Australia [103, 202, 209]
This study demonstrated for the first time that a Lepus species showed susceptibility to rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) GI.2 and a clear difference with regards to susceptibility to RHDV GI.1 in this species given that RHDV GI.1 had previously been endemic in rabbits in the same geographical area for 20 years [99]
Summary
Two viral diseases affecting Leporidae are listed in the World Organization for Animal Health Terrestrial Manual for animals, myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease Both are of major significance to wild and domestic rabbits and hares causing important environmental harm with significant financial consequences. This is reflected in the magnitude of scientific literature regarding these diseases and the viruses that cause them namely myxoma virus (MYXV) and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV). MYXV and RHDV belong to two virus families the Poxviridae and Caliciviridae respectively. These virus families include a number of other viruses that are of consequence to lagomorphs. Lagomorphs are subject to a broader range of viral infections that we shall outline in part II of the chapter
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