title: Increased virulence of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus associated with genetic resistance in wild Australian rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).
abstract: The release of myxoma virus (MYXV) and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) in Australia with the aim of controlling overabundant rabbits has provided a unique opportunity to study the initial spread and establishment of emerging pathogens, as well as their co-evolution with their mammalian hosts. In contrast to MYXV, which attenuated shortly after its introduction, rapid attenuation of RHDV has not been observed. By studying the change in virulence of recent field isolates at a single field site we show, for the first time, that RHDV virulence has increased through time, likely because of selection to overcome developing genetic resistance in Australian wild rabbits. High virulence also appears to be favoured as rabbit carcasses, rather than diseased animals, are the likely source of mechanical insect transmission. These findings not only help elucidate the co-evolutionary interaction between rabbits and RHDV, but reveal some of the key factors shaping virulence evolution.
authors.affiliation: Robert Wicks Pest Animal Research Centre, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia; Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Canberra, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Elsworth
authors.affiliation: Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Canberra, Australia; University of Canberra, Institute for Applied Ecology, ACT, Canberra, Australia.
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.affiliation: Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Canberra, Australia; Biosecurity South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kovaliski
authors.affiliation: Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Canberra, Australia; Biosecurity South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.affiliation: Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases & Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Biological Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Edward C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Canberra, Australia; CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra, ACT, Australia; CSIRO Biosecurity Flagship, Canberra, Australia. Electronic address: tanja.strive@csiro.au.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Strive
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D017929:Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Rabbit / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011817:Rabbits / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D014774:Virulence
keywords: Adaptive evolution; Biological control; Calicivirus; Emerging disease; Genetic resistance; Rabbit; Transmission; Virulence