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Identification and Characterisation of a Myxoma Virus Detected in the Italian Hare (Lepus corsicanus)
Elisa Rossini1,2, Moira Bazzucchi1,2, Valter Trocchi3
1Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini" (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi, 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
Abstract:
Myxoma virus (MYXV) is a Leporipoxvirus (genus) belonging to the family Poxviridae; it is characterised by a genome of approximately 161 kb dsDNA encoding for several proteins that play an essential role in both host spectrum determination and immunomodulation. The healthy reservoir of the virus is Sylvilagus spp. At the same time, in wild and domestic European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), MYXV is the etiologic agent of myxomatosis, a disease with an extremely high mortality rate. In 2014, an interspecies jump of MYXV was reported in Lepus europaeus in the UK. In 2018, myxomatosis induced by a new recombinant strain called MYXV-To was identified during a large outbreak in Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) in Spain. Here, we describe the case of myxomatosis in another hare species: an adult male Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus) found dead in 2018 in Sicily with lesions suggestive of myxomatosis and treponema infection. Laboratory tests, e.g., end-point PCR and negative staining electron microscopy, confirmed the presence of both pathogens. MYXV was then isolated from tissue samples in permissive cells and sequenced using NGS technology. Main genomic differences concerning known MYXV strains are discussed.
Insights
Myxoma virus (MYXV) caused a fatal myxomatosis outbreak in Italian hares (Lepus corsicanus). Genomic analysis revealed differences compared to known MYXV strains, highlighting potential viral evolution and host adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Virology
- Wildlife Disease Ecology
- Poxvirology
Background:
- Myxoma virus (MYXV), a Leporipoxvirus, causes severe myxomatosis in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).
- MYXV reservoirs include Sylvilagus spp., with documented interspecies transmission events to hares (Lepus spp.).
- Recent outbreaks involved recombinant MYXV strains in Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) in Spain (2018).
Observation:
- A case of myxomatosis was identified in an Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus) in Sicily in 2018.
- The affected hare exhibited lesions consistent with myxomatosis and co-infection with treponema.
- Laboratory confirmation included end-point PCR and negative staining electron microscopy.
Findings:
- Myxoma virus (MYXV) was successfully isolated from Italian hare tissue samples.
- Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was employed to determine the complete genome of the isolated MYXV strain.
- Genomic sequencing identified key differences between this strain and previously characterized MYXV strains.
Implications:
- This finding documents myxomatosis in a new hare species, Lepus corsicanus.
- The genomic variations suggest potential viral adaptation or evolution in different leporid hosts.
- Further research into MYXV strains is crucial for understanding disease dynamics and host range expansion in wildlife.
