H. Nauwynck et al., SUSCEPTIBILITY OF HARES AND RABBITS TO A BELGIAN ISOLATE OF EUROPEAN BROWN HARE SYNDROME VIRUS, Journal of wildlife diseases, 29(2), 1993, pp. 203-208
Signs and pathologic changes of European brown hare syndrome (EBHS) we
re reproduced in four hares (Lepus europaeus) after experimental inocu
lation of a liver suspension from hares from Belgium, which naturally
died of EBHS. Virus particles were demonstrated by electron microscopy
in the liver of an experimentally infected hare. They were spherical
with a diameter of 28 to 30 nm. After density gradient centrifugation,
virus particles were detected in the density zone of 1.34 g/ml. Based
on immunoelectron microscopy with a convalescent serum, we identified
the virus as the cause of EBHS. Clinical signs were not produced in t
hree seronegative domestic rabbits after subcutaneous inoculation of t
he EBHS virus. Although low levels of antibodies against EBHS virus we
re found in the serum of these three rabbits 4 weeks after the inocula
tion of EBHS virus, the rabbits were not protected when challenged wit
h viral hemorrhagic disease (VHD) virus. The different pathogenicity o
f the Belgian EBHS and VHD virus isolates in rabbits and the lack of p
rotection in rabbits with circulating EBHS virus antibodies against a
challenge with VHD virus indicates that both Belgian virus isolates fo
rm two different virus populations.