title: Experimental West Nile Virus Infection in Rabbits: An Alternative Model for Studying Induction of Disease and Virus Control.
abstract: The economic impact of non-lethal human and equine West Nile virus (WNV) disease is substantial, since it is the most common presentation of the infection. Experimental infection with virulent WNV strains in the mouse and hamster models frequently results in severe neural infection and moderate to high mortality, both of which are not representative features of most human and equine infections. We have established a rabbit model for investigating pathogenesis and immune response of non-lethal WNV infection. Two species of rabbits, New Zealand White (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and North American cottontail (Sylvilagus sp.), were experimentally infected with virulent WNV and Murray Valley encephalitis virus strains. Infected rabbits exhibited a consistently resistant phenotype, with evidence of low viremia, minimal-absent neural infection, mild-moderate neuropathology, and the lack of mortality, even though productive virus replication occurred in the draining lymph node. The kinetics of anti-WNV neutralizing antibody response was comparable to that commonly seen in infected horses and humans. This may be explained by the early IFNα/β and/or γ response evident in the draining popliteal lymph node. Given this similarity to the human and equine disease, immunocompetent rabbits are, therefore, a valuable animal model for investigating various aspects of non-lethal WNV infections.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia. w.suen@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Willy W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Suen
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia. m.uddin2@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Muhammad J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Uddin
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia. w.wang3@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Wenqi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. vienna.brown@colostate.edu.
authors.forename: Vienna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. danielle.adney@colostate.edu.
authors.forename: Danielle R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Adney
authors.affiliation: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia. nicole.broad@qimrberghofer.edu.au.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Broad
authors.affiliation: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia. roy.hall@uq.edu.au.|Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia. roy.hall@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Natalie A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Prow
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. rbowen@rams.colostate.edu.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.affiliation: Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia. roy.hall@uq.edu.au.|School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia. roy.hall@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Roy A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia. h.bielefeldtohmann1@uq.edu.au.|Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia. h.bielefeldtohmann1@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Helle
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bielefeldt-Ohmann
keywords: West Nile virus; animal models; pathogenesis; rabbit