title: European brown hare syndrome in wild European brown hares from Greece.
abstract: From 1999 to mid-2003, 97 European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) found dead throughout Greece were examined by necropsy, histopathology, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the presence of European brown hare syndrome (EBHS) and EBHS virus (EBHSV), respectively. Hare losses were sporadic, starting in the cold season and lasting for many months (December to May). The most prominent gross lesions were observed in the liver and included swelling and discoloration; congestion and hemorrhages were present mainly in lungs and tracheal mucosa. Necropsy findings were suggestive of EBHS, which was confirmed by histopathology and RT-PCR. This study documents, for the first time, EBHS in Greece.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Trikalon 224, GR-43100 Karditsa, Greece. billinis@vet.uth.gr
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Billinis
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Psychas
authors.forename: Dimitrios K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Tontis
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spyrou
authors.forename: Periklis K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Birtsas
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sofia
authors.forename: Fotios
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Likotrafitis
authors.forename: Olga M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Maslarinou
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kanteres
mesh_terms: D000505:Alopecia / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D002139:Caliciviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D034621:Hares / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012621:Seasons; D013577:Syndrome