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Detection and molecular characterization of a first isolate of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus in Nigeria

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Abstract

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) was recovered from necropsied rabbits that died during an outbreak characterized by epistaxis, incoordination, paralysis, and multi-organ haemorrhages in Ilorin, Nigeria. The haemagglutination test (HA) and RT-PCR assay targeted against a fragment of the RHDV VP60 gene were performed on liver, spleen, and kidney homogenates; faeces; and urine obtained from the rabbits. Amplicons were purified, sequenced, and phylogenetically analysed. The liver homogenates yielded the highest HA titres while RT-PCR of liver, spleen, and kidneys yielded the expected 1252 bp band. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Nigerian RHDV strain (RHDV/NGR/ILN/001) was 98.57%, 97.95%, and 96.70% homologous with RHDV2 (RHDVGI.2) strains from the Netherlands, Germany, and France, respectively. RHDV/NGR/ILN/001 induced tracheal, intestinal, and mediastinal lymph node haemorrhages, pulmonary oedema and congestion, and enlarged, necrotic liver in experimentally inoculated rabbits. The implications of this study, which is the first report of RHDV in Nigeria, are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge and appreciate the cooperation of members of the Kwara State Rabbit Farmers’ Association for promptly reporting the outbreak and submitting rabbit carcasses.

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The authors declare that all information as regards this study is available online for public view.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

    O. B. Daodu & I. D. Olorunshola

  2. Center for Human Virology and Genomics, Nigerian Institute for Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria

    J. O. Shaibu & R. A. Audu

  3. Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

    A. B. Richards, E. B. Folaranmi, S. Adegoke & N. I. Halleed

  4. Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

    A. Ajadi, O. B. Akanbi & A. A. Afolabi

  5. Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

    O. C. Daodu

  6. Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

    J. O. Aiyedun & O. O. Oludairo

  7. Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

    D. O. Oluwayelu

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  1. O. B. Daodu
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  2. J. O. Shaibu
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  3. A. B. Richards
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  4. E. B. Folaranmi
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  5. S. Adegoke
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  7. I. D. Olorunshola
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  10. O. C. Daodu
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  11. J. O. Aiyedun
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. B. Daodu.

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Ethics approval

All relevant international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were duly followed (World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) 2019b). In addition, ethical clearance for this study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (VKW-714/1/182)

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The consent of all rabbit owners and the appropriate government agency was sorted before this study was carried out.

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Consent on publication was sorted and with approval from the appropriate government agency.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Daodu, O.B., Shaibu, J.O., Richards, A.B. et al. Detection and molecular characterization of a first isolate of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus in Nigeria. Trop Anim Health Prod 53, 185 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02606-5

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