rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus
Index
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Top of page| Picture | Title | Caption | Copyright |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEM showing rabbit calicivirus isolated from the liver of an infected rabbit | RHDV (rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus); this transmission electron micrograph (TEM) shows rabbit calicivirus isolated from the liver of an infected rabbit. The virus has been prepared using negative contrast electron microscopy. The virus has been labeled (inner box) with anti-rabbit calicivirus antibodies and colloidal gold. (Image produced by Electron Microscopy Unit, Australian Animal Health Laboratory) | ©Electron Microscopy Unit AAHL/CSIRO - CC BY 3.0 |
Identity
Top of pagePreferred Scientific Name
- rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus
International Common Names
- English: rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus
English acronym
- RHDV
Taxonomic Tree
Top of page- Domain: Virus
- Group: "Positive sense ssRNA viruses"
- Group: "RNA viruses"
- Family: Caliciviridae
- Genus: Lagovirus
- Species: rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus
Distribution Table
Top of pageThe distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.
Last updated: 10 Jan 2020Pathogen Characteristics
Top of pageRabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), a calicivirus (genus Lagovirus, family Caliciviriade), is a small non-enveloped single-stranded RNA virus, with a genome of ~7.4 kb and only one major capsid protein (VP60) (Ohlinger et al., 1990). RHDV causes a highly contagious and acute fatal hepatitis of wild and domestic European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) (reviewed by Abrantes et al., 2012). The genus Lagovirus also includes European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV), which causes disease in brown hares (Lepus europaeus). Despite their high genetic relationship (VP60 nucleotide similarity of 70%), RHDV and EBHSV are two distinct viral species (Lavazza et al., 1996; Wirblich et al., 1994).
There are three main RHDV groups:
i) “Classical RHDV”, including genogroups G1-G5, first reported in China in 1984 (Liu et al., 1984). This RHDV has been reported in Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania and is endemic in most parts of the world where European rabbits live naturally or are domesticated.
ii) Subtype RHDVa/G6 identified in Europe in 1996 (Capucci et al., 1998; Schirrmeier et al., 1999) and since reported in Oceania, Asia and Americas.
iii) “New” RHDV (provisionally called RHDV2 or RHDVb), first reported in France in 2010 in wild and farmed vaccinated rabbits (Dalton et al., 2012; Le Gall-Reculé et al., 2011, 2013), that has since spread in Europe and was reported in Australia in 2015 (Hall et al., 2015). With a unique antigenic profile, it causes mortality in young rabbits (less than two months old) and vaccinated rabbits, typically not susceptible to G1-G6 strains (Dalton et al., 2012). RHDV2 appears to be replacing classical RHDV strains among some wild rabbit populations in Europe (Le Gall-Reculé et al., 2013; Lopes et al., 2015) and is capable of infecting lagomorphs from the Lepus genus (Puggioni et al., 2013; Camarda et al., 2014).
Weak pathogenic and non-pathogenic forms of the virus also exist, which are genetically different from the pathogenic RHDV (Capucci et al., 1996; Strive et al., 2009).
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease is on the list of diseases notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). For more information, see the website: www.oie.int
References
Top of pageOIE Handistatus, 2002. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (dataset for 2001). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties.
OIE Handistatus, 2003. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (dataset for 2002). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties.
OIE Handistatus, 2004. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (data set for 2003). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties.
OIE Handistatus, 2005. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (data set for 2004). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties.
Distribution References
OIE Handistatus, 2005. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (dataset for 2004)., Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties.
Distribution Maps
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