scholarly journals Long-term decline of the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in south-western Spain

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sacramento Moreno ◽  
Juan F. Beltrán ◽  
Irene Cotilla ◽  
Beatriz Kuffner ◽  
Rafael Laffite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oryctolagus Cuniculus ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Wild Rabbit ◽  
Doñana National Park ◽  
Lynx Pardinus ◽  
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Rabbit Population ◽  
Important Prey

The European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a species native to the Iberian Peninsula, where it was once extremely abundant. It is considered the most important prey item for the peninsula’s assemblage of Mediterranean vertebrate predators, which includes two endangered specialist rabbit feeders, the Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) and the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). However, rabbit population trends in Spain have not been accurately documented. In the present study, we analysed trends in a population of European rabbits monitored over 23 years in the Doñana National Park, home to one of the most diverse and densest predator communities in Europe. Rabbit abundance and population trends were estimated using roadside counts. Results show that the rabbit population declined sharply by ~60% during the first wave of epizootic rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) in 1990. Since then, rabbit numbers have declined at a relatively constant rate and the species has become progressively scarcer in the area. The current population is less than 10% of that before the arrival of RHD. However, after the RHD epizootic we observed increasing intra-annual population recruitment. We hypothesise that density-dependent factors caused by enzootic viral diseases (myxomatosis, RHD) and higher predation of rabbits are the main factors preventing recovery of rabbit numbers. The effects of a decline in the prey species on the ecology of sympatric rabbit predators are discussed, and measures to improve ongoing rabbit conservation efforts are suggested.

Habitat factors related to wild rabbit population trends after the initial impact of rabbit haemorrhagic disease

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Calvete ◽  
Enrique Pelayo ◽  
Javier Sampietro
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Quality ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Wild Rabbit ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Rabbit Population ◽  
Habitat Factors ◽  
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Haemorrhagic Disease

The European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is an introduced pest species in Australia and New Zealand. Rabbits have a devastating negative impact on agricultural production and biodiversity in these countries, and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) is currently included in control strategies for rabbit populations. On the other hand, the European wild rabbit is a key native prey species in the Iberian Peninsula. Since the arrival of RHD, however, rabbit populations have undergone dramatic decreases and several predator species at risk of extinction are currently dependent on the rabbit population density. Therefore, from the point of view of biodiversity conservation, evaluating habitat correlates and trends of rabbit populations after the first RHD epizootic is of great interest to improve the long-term control or promotion of wild rabbit populations. We estimated the relationship between habitat factors and long-term population trends as well as the relationships between habitat factors and rabbit abundance 2 and 14 years after the arrival of RHD in several Iberian rabbit populations. We observed that only 26% of surveyed populations seemed to experience an increase in rabbit abundance over the last 12 years and that this increase was higher in the low-rabbit-abundance areas of l992, leading to high rabbit abundance in 2004. Our results suggested that short- and long-term impacts of RHD were related to habitat quality. The initial impact of RHD was higher in more suitable habitats, but increasing long-term population trends were positively related to good habitat quality.

Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) Conservation in Holm Oak Montados of Southeastern Portugal

2013 ◽  
pp. 185-189
Author(s):  
Rui Morgado ◽  
Carlos Rio Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Holm Oak ◽  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Wild Rabbit ◽  
Iberian Lynx ◽  
Lynx Pardinus

Five volunteers mapped wild rabbit latrines along transects, as a prey index for endangered Iberian Lynx, in the Municipality of Barrancos, a Natura 2000 area. High capability and local knowledge suggest that conservation employment could offset declining rural activities with alternative income.

scholarly journals Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2; GI.2) Is Replacing Endemic Strains of RHDV in the Australian Landscape within 18 Months of Its Arrival

2017 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie E. Mahar ◽  
Robyn N. Hall ◽  
David Peacock ◽  
John Kovaliski ◽  
Melissa Piper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Virus ◽  
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Wild Rabbit ◽  
New Host ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Initial Description ◽  
Ongoing Surveillance

ABSTRACTRabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2(RHDV2;LagovirusGI.2) is a pathogenic calicivirus that affects European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and various hare (Lepus) species. GI.2 was first detected in France in 2010 and subsequently caused epidemics in wild and domestic lagomorph populations throughout Europe. In May 2015, GI.2 was detected in Australia. Within 18 months of its initial detection, GI.2 had spread to all Australian states and territories and rapidly became the dominant circulating strain, replacingRabbit hemorrhagic disease virus(RHDV/GI.1) in mainland Australia. Reconstruction of the evolutionary history of 127 Australian GI.2 isolates revealed that the virus arrived in Australia at least several months before its initial description and likely circulated unnoticed in wild rabbit populations in the east of the continent prior to its detection. GI.2 sequences isolated from five hares clustered with sequences from sympatric rabbit populations sampled contemporaneously, indicating multiple spillover events into hares rather than an adaptation of the Australian GI.2 to a new host. Since the presence of GI.2 in Australia may have wide-ranging consequences for rabbit biocontrol, particularly with the release of the novel biocontrol agent GI.1a/RHDVa-K5 in March 2017, ongoing surveillance is critical to understanding the interactions of the various lagoviruses in Australia and their impact on host populations.IMPORTANCEThis study describes the spread and distribution ofRabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2(GI.2) in Australia since its first detection in May 2015. Within the first 18 months following its detection, RHDV2 spread from east to west across the continent and became the dominant strain in all mainland states of Australia. This has important implications for pest animal management and for owners of pet and farmed rabbits, as there currently is no effective vaccine available in Australia for GI.2. The closely related RHDV (GI.1) is used to control overabundant wild rabbits, a serious environmental and agricultural pest in this country, and it is currently unclear how the widespread circulation of GI.2 will impact ongoing targeted wild rabbit management operations.

scholarly journals Punctuated evolution of myxoma virus: rapid and disjunct evolution of a recent viral lineage in Australia

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Kerr ◽  
John-Sebastian Eden ◽  
Francesca Di Giallonardo ◽  
David Peacock ◽  
June Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Myxoma Virus ◽  
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus ◽  
Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Partial Recovery ◽  
Wild Rabbit ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Selection Pressures ◽  
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Evolutionary Event ◽  
European Rabbits

ABSTRACTMyxoma virus (MYXV) has been evolving in a novel host species – European rabbits – in Australia since 1950. Previous studies of viruses sampled from 1950 to 1999 revealed a remarkably clock-like evolutionary process across all Australian lineages of MYXV. Through an analysis of 49 newly generated MYXV genome sequences isolated in Australia between 2008 and 2017 we show that MYXV evolution in Australia can be characterized by three lineages, one of which exhibited a greatly elevated rate of evolutionary change and a dramatic break-down of temporal structure. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this apparently punctuated evolutionary event occurred between 1996 and 2012. The branch leading to the rapidly evolving lineage contained a relatively high number of non-synonymous substitutions, and viruses in this lineage reversed a mutation found in the progenitor standard laboratory strain (SLS) and all previous sequences that disrupts the reading frame of theM005L/Rgene. Analysis of genes encoding proteins involved in DNA synthesis or RNA transcription did not reveal any mutations likely to cause rapid evolution. Although there was some evidence for recombination across the MYXV phylogeny, this was not associated with the increase in evolutionary rate. The period from 1996 to 2012 saw significant declines in wild rabbit numbers, due to the introduction of rabbit hemorrhagic disease and prolonged drought in south-eastern Australia, followed by the partial recovery of populations. We therefore suggest that a rapidly changing environment for virus transmission changed the selection pressures faced by MYXV and altered the course of virus evolution.IMPORTANCEThe co-evolution of myxoma virus (MYXV) and European rabbits in Australia is one of the most important natural ‘experiments’ in evolutionary biology, providing insights into virus adaptation to new hosts and the evolution of virulence. Previous studies of MYXV evolution have also shown that the virus evolves both relatively rapidly and in a strongly clock-like manner. Using newly acquired MYXV genome sequences from Australia we show that the virus has experienced a dramatic change in evolutionary behavior over the last 20 years, with a break-down in clock-like structure, the appearance of a rapidly evolving virus lineage, and the accumulation of multiple non-synonymous and indel mutations. We suggest that this punctuated evolutionary event likely reflects a change in selection pressures as rabbit numbers declined following the introduction of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus and drought in the geographic regions inhabited by rabbits.

scholarly journals Horizontal Transmissible Protection against Myxomatosis and Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease by Using a Recombinant Myxoma Virus

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 1114-1123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Bárcena ◽  
Mónica Morales ◽  
Belén Vázquez ◽  
José A. Boga ◽  
Francisco Parra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Horizontal Transmission ◽  
Myxoma Virus ◽  
Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus ◽  
Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Wild Rabbit ◽  
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Recombinant Viruses ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Transmissible Gastroenteritis ◽  
Capsid Protein Vp60

ABSTRACT We have developed a new strategy for immunization of wild rabbit populations against myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) that uses recombinant viruses based on a naturally attenuated field strain of myxoma virus (MV). The recombinant viruses expressed the RHDV major capsid protein (VP60) including a linear epitope tag from the transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) nucleoprotein. Following inoculation, the recombinant viruses induced specific antibody responses against MV, RHDV, and the TGEV tag. Immunization of wild rabbits by the subcutaneous and oral routes conferred protection against virulent RHDV and MV challenges. The recombinant viruses showed a limited horizontal transmission capacity, either by direct contact or in a flea-mediated process, promoting immunization of contact uninoculated animals.

Sequence and genomic organization of a rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus isolated from a wild rabbit

Virus Genes ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Rasschaert ◽  
Stephanie Huguet ◽  
Marie-Francoise Madelaine ◽  
Jean-Francois Vautherot
Keyword(s):  
Disease Virus ◽  
Genomic Organization ◽  
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus ◽  
Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Wild Rabbit ◽  
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease

scholarly journals Punctuated Evolution of Myxoma Virus: Rapid and Disjunct Evolution of a Recent Viral Lineage in Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Kerr ◽  
John-Sebastian Eden ◽  
Francesca Di Giallonardo ◽  
David Peacock ◽  
June Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Myxoma Virus ◽  
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus ◽  
Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Partial Recovery ◽  
Wild Rabbit ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Selection Pressures ◽  
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Evolutionary Event ◽  
European Rabbits

ABSTRACTMyxoma virus (MYXV) has been evolving in a novel host species—European rabbits—in Australia since 1950. Previous studies of viruses sampled from 1950 to 1999 revealed a remarkably clock-like evolutionary process across all Australian lineages of MYXV. Through an analysis of 49 newly generated MYXV genome sequences isolated in Australia between 2008 and 2017, we show that MYXV evolution in Australia can be characterized by three lineages, one of which exhibited a greatly elevated rate of evolutionary change and a dramatic breakdown of temporal structure. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this apparently punctuated evolutionary event occurred between 1996 and 2012. The branch leading to the rapidly evolving lineage contained a relatively high number of nonsynonymous substitutions, and viruses in this lineage reversed a mutation found in the progenitor standard laboratory strain (SLS) and all previous sequences that disrupts the reading frame of theM005L/Rgene. Analysis of genes encoding proteins involved in DNA synthesis or RNA transcription did not reveal any mutations likely to cause rapid evolution. Although there was some evidence for recombination across the MYXV phylogeny, this was not associated with the increase in the evolutionary rate. The period from 1996 to 2012 saw significant declines in wild rabbit numbers, due to the introduction of rabbit hemorrhagic disease and prolonged drought in southeastern Australia, followed by the partial recovery of populations. It is therefore possible that a rapidly changing environment for virus transmission changed the selection pressures faced by MYXV, altering the course and pace of virus evolution.IMPORTANCEThe coevolution of myxoma virus (MYXV) and European rabbits in Australia is one of the most important natural experiments in evolutionary biology, providing insights into virus adaptation to new hosts and the evolution of virulence. Previous studies of MYXV evolution have also shown that the virus evolves both relatively rapidly and in a strongly clock-like manner. Using newly acquired MYXV genome sequences from Australia, we show that the virus has experienced a dramatic change in evolutionary behavior over the last 20 years, with a breakdown in clock-like structure, the appearance of a rapidly evolving virus lineage, and the accumulation of multiple nonsynonymous and indel mutations. We suggest that this punctuated evolutionary event may reflect a change in selection pressures as rabbit numbers declined following the introduction of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus and drought in the geographic regions inhabited by rabbits.

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