Pathological and serological insights into Lagovirus diseases dynamics in the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) : A nine-year longitudinal study
Estruch Morente, Josep (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)
Cavadini, Patrizia (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna)
Lavazza, Antonio (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna)
Capucci, Lorenzo (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna)
Abrantes, Joana (Universidade do Porto)
Lopes, Ana M. (Universidade do Porto. CIBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos)
Almeida, Tereza (Universidade do Porto)
Neimanis, Aleksija (Swedish Veterinary Agency)
Lavín González, Santiago (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)
Rouco, Carlos (Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento Biología Vegetal y Ecología)
Serrano Ferron, Emmanuel (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)
Velarde, Roser (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)

Data:	2025
Resum:	The European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV; GII. 1) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2; GI. 2) are pathogenic lagoviruses affecting the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus). EBHSV/GII. 1 causes periodic epidemics, while RHDV2/GI. 2 infections emerge from spillover events in areas where hares are sympatric with European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, the overlap of these species provides a unique opportunity to investigate how the epidemiology of these viruses correlates with disease course. We analysed the presence of lagoviruses in 113 European brown hare carcasses recovered in Catalonia (NE Spain) between 2015 and 2024. Animals were necropsied, and tissue and serum samples were collected for histopathology, virological investigation, and serology. Sera from hunted hares apparently healthy (n = 89, 2015-2023) were also included in the study. PCR on liver samples (n = 58) and virological ELISA on positive sera (n = 52) confirmed 28 EBHSV/GII. 1 and 24 RHDV2/GI. 2 cases. After the first EBHSV/GII. 1 detection in 2016, antibody titres decreased progressively until 2020-2021, coinciding with an outbreak. No conclusive seropositivity for RHDV2/GI. 2 was observed during the study. Pathology revealed more acute lesions in RHDV2/GI. 2-infected hares compared to EBHSV/GII. 1. These lesions, resulting in sudden death due to a deficient immune response, may explain this distinct epidemiological scenario. Despite a decade of circulation, RHDV2/GI. 2 has not fully adapted to hares. However, ongoing monitoring is essential, as mutations or recombination events could increase its epizootic potential. The co-circulation of both lagoviruses, combined with other co-factors, might jeopardise the viability of European brown hare populations at the southern limit of their range.
Ajuts:	Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PID2023-151954NB-I00 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PID2019-111080RB-C21 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PRIMAS2-11-PCI2019-103698
Nota:	Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB
Drets:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Llengua:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Matèria:	European brown hare syndrome ; Epidemics ; Host-shift ; Mortality ; Population ; Rabbit haemorrhagic disease ; Wildlife disease surveillance
Publicat a:	Veterinary microbiology, Vol. 304 (may 2025) , p. 110478, ISSN 1873-2542

DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2025.110478

11 p, 11.3 MB

El registre apareix a les col·leccions:
Documents de recerca > Documents dels grups de recerca de la UAB > Centres i grups de recerca (producció científica) > Ciències de la salut i biociències > Grup de recerca Wildlife Ecology & Health
Articles > Articles de recerca
Articles > Articles publicats