Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Dynamics

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) is a calicivirus that causes acute, often lethal hepatitis in the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Since its first detection in China in 1984, RHDV has diversified into multiple genogroups and subtypes, of which the emergent GI.2 (RHDV2) variant exhibits expanded host range and heightened virulence. Transmission occurs predominantly via direct contact, fomites and insect vectors, leading to rapid outbreaks in both wild and domestic populations. Viral dynamics are shaped by mutation, recombination between structural and non-structural gene segments and selective pressures from host immunity and management interventions. The evolution of RHDV variants has profound implications for vaccine efficacy, population control programmes and ecosystem stability. Molecular characterisation has revealed key roles for the VP60 capsid protein in cell attachment and antigenicity, while host responses involve apoptosis, innate defences and mucosal immunity. At the landscape scale, RHDV-driven mortality can trigger cascading effects across trophic webs, altering predator–prey balances and habitat functioning. Ongoing surveillance, combined with integrative genomic and ecological studies, is essential to anticipate variant emergence, inform vaccine updates and mitigate the broader ecological consequences of this pathogen.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have quantitatively assessed how the introduction of a new RHDV variant can precipitate sharp declines in European rabbit populations, with knock-on effects for apex predators such as the Iberian lynx and Spanish Imperial eagle. By modelling population trends before and after variant emergence, researchers demonstrated a 60–70% drop in rabbit numbers followed by substantial reductions in predator fecundity. This work highlights the capacity of a virus to function as a keystone driver, reshaping community structure and ecosystem dynamics through disease-mediated bottom-up regulation.

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Lagovirus europaeus GI.2: An emergent genotype of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus known as RHDV2, characterised by enhanced virulence and broader host susceptibility.
Recombination: The genetic exchange between viral genomes that generates novel variants with new traits, often occurring between structural and non-structural gene segments.
Apoptosis: A form of programmed cell death mediated by caspase activation, which contributes to liver damage during viral infection.
Trophic web: The network of feeding interactions among species in an ecosystem, which can be reshaped by disease-driven changes in host populations.

References

1. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV): a review. Veterinary Research (2012).
2. Emergence of a new lagovirus related to Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus. Veterinary Research (2013).
3. Atomic Model of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus by Cryo-Electron Microscopy and Crystallography. PLOS Pathogens (2013).
4. Disease-mediated bottom-up regulation: An emergent virus affects a keystone prey, and alters the dynamics of trophic webs. Scientific Reports (2016).
5. First report of GI.1aP-GI.2 recombinants of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus in domestic rabbits in China. Frontiers in Microbiology (2023).
6. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 from Singapore 2020 outbreak revealed an Australian recombinant variant. Virus Evolution (2023).
7. Apoptotic Cell Death in an Animal Model of Virus-Induced Acute Liver Failure—Observations during Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 Infection. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).