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Detection of RHDVa on the Iberian Peninsula: isolation of an RHDVa strain from a Spanish rabbitry

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Abstract

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), genus Lagovirus, family Caliciviridae, causes a large number of deaths in wild and domestic adult European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). The first documented outbreak dates from 1984 in China, but the virus rapidly dispersed worldwide. In 1997, an antigenic variant was detected in Italy and designated RHDVa. Despite causing symptoms similar to those caused by classic RHDV strains, marked antigenic and genetic differences exist. In some parts of Europe, RHDVa is replacing classic strains. Here, we report the presence of RHDVa on the Iberian Peninsula, where this variant was thought not to contribute to viral diversity.

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Acknowledgments

The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) supported the doctoral fellowship of Ana M. Lopes (SFRH/BD/78738/2011) and the postdoctoral fellowship of Joana Abrantes (SFRH/BPD/73512/2010). The FCT Project PTDC/CVT/108490/2008 supported this work. We gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance of Ines Nicieza, Daniel de Llano (Oviedo University) and Cogal veterinary services, Galicia, Spain. We also wish to acknowledge INTERCUN for financial support provided to F. Parra’s laboratory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIBIO/UP, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos/Universidade do Porto, InBio, Laboratório Associado, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, nr. 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal

    Joana Abrantes, Ana M. Lopes & Pedro J. Esteves

  2. INSERM, U892, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France

    Joana Abrantes & Ana M. Lopes

  3. Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Ana M. Lopes

  4. Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias, Universidad de Oviedo, C/Fernando Bongera s/n, 33006, Oviedo, Spain

    Kevin P. Dalton & Francisco Parra

  5. CITS, Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias da Saúde, IPSN, CESPU, Gandra, Portugal

    Pedro J. Esteves

Authors
  1. Joana Abrantes
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  2. Ana M. Lopes
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  3. Kevin P. Dalton
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  4. Francisco Parra
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  5. Pedro J. Esteves
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Correspondence to Joana Abrantes.

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Abrantes, J., Lopes, A.M., Dalton, K.P. et al. Detection of RHDVa on the Iberian Peninsula: isolation of an RHDVa strain from a Spanish rabbitry. Arch Virol 159, 321–326 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-013-1808-2

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