Emergence of Pathogenicity in Lagoviruses: Evolution from Pre-existing Nonpathogenic Strains or through a Species Jump?: e1005087

• Published in: PLoS pathogens 2015-11, Vol.11 (11)
• Main Authors: Esteves, Pedro José, Abrantes, Joana, Bertagnoli, Stéphane, Cavadini, Patrizia, Gavier-Widén, Dolores, Guitton, Jean-Sébastien, Lavazza, Antonio, Lemaitre, Evelyne, Letty, Jérôme, Lopes, Ana Margarida, Neimanis, Aleksija S, Ruvoën-Clouet, Nathalie, Pendu, Jacques Le, Marchandeau, Stéphane, Gall-Reculé, Ghislaine Le
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Disease; Hypotheses; Immunoglobulins; Phylogenetics; Viruses
• ISSN: 1553-7366; 1553-7374
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005087

The first hypothesis is shared by several authors and originates from the detection of anti-RHDV antibodies in rabbit blood samples collected before the first documented outbreak in Europe and Australia [89-92] and later in the characterization of different nonpathogenic viruses in European rabbits [26-34]. In the Po valley in Italy, where Eastern cottontails are invasive and widespread, a serological study showed that 18% and 33% of them carry antibodies detected by both anti-EBHSV and anti-RHDV serological tests, proving the susceptibility of the species to lagoviruses [94]. [...]recent documentation of RHDV strains in Iberian hares (L. granatensis) with lesions compatible with RHD [95], demonstration of the capacity of RHDV2 to infect Sardinian Cape and Italian hares (L. capensis mediterraneus and L. corsicanus, respectively) causing RHDV-like disease [65,70], and the experimental infection of cottontails by EBHSV [94], show the feasibility of species jumps of lagoviruses between leporid species.