title: Field and experimental data indicate that the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is susceptible to infection with European brown hare syndrome (EBHS) virus and not with rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) virus.
abstract: The eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is an American lagomorph. In 1966, it was introduced to Italy, where it is currently widespread. Its ecological niche is similar to those of native rabbits and hares and increasing overlap in distribution brings these species into ever closer contact. Therefore, cottontails are at risk of infection with the two lagoviruses endemically present in Italy: Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease virus (RHDV) and European Brown Hare Syndrome Virus (EBHSV). To verify the susceptibility of Sylvilagus to these viruses, we analyzed 471 sera and 108 individuals from cottontail populations in 9 provinces of north-central Italy from 1999 to 2012. In total, 15-20% of the cottontails tested seropositive for EBHSV; most titres were low, but some were as high as 1/1280. All the cottontails virologically tested for RHDV and EBHSV were negative with the exception of one individual found dead with hares during a natural EBHS outbreak in December 2009. The cottontail and the hares showed typical EBHS lesions, and the EBHSV strain identified was the same in both species (99.9% identity). To experimentally confirm the diagnosis, we performed two trials in which we infected cottontails with both EBHSV and RHDV. One out of four cottontails infected with EBHSV died of an EBHS-like disease, and the three surviving animals developed high EBHSV antibody titres. In contrast, neither mortality nor seroconversion was detected after infection with RHDV. Taken together, these results suggest that Sylvilagus is susceptible to EBHSV infection, which occasionally evolves to EBHS-like disease; the eastern cottontail could therefore be considered a "spill over" or "dead end" host for EBHSV unless further evidence is found to confirm that it plays an active role in the epidemiology of EBHSV.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lavazza
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cavadini
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tizzani
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abrantes
authors.forename: Pedro J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Esteves
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grilli
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gioia
authors.forename: Mariagrazia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanoni
authors.forename: Pier
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meneguz
authors.forename: Jean-Sébastien
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Guitton
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchandeau
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiari
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capucci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D017929:Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Rabbit / Q000302:isolation & purification; D058865:Introduced Species; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007793:Lagomorpha; D029321:Lagovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
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