Development of a diagnostic approach to the identification of rabbit haemorrhagic disease
Chasey, D.; Lucas, M.H.; Westcott, D.G.; Sharp, G.; Kitching, A.; Hughes, S.K.
Veterinary Record 137(7): 158-160
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 8553522 Document Number: 446521
Haemagglutination and ELISA tests, and negative contrast electron microscopy, have been used to identify rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus in naturally occurring cases of the disease and in experimentally infected rabbits in the UK. Haemagglutination tests alone are not satisfactory for the diagnosis because non-haemagglutinating isolates of the virus, otherwise indistinguishable from others, have been found in some outbreaks. Haemagglutination inhibition tests have shown that a proportion of commercial laboratory and wild rabbits in the UK are seropositive to the virus although they have not been associated with clinical disease. This observation, made previously in other parts of Europe, may indicate the longstanding circulation of a related but non-pathogenic strain of virus. Naturally occurring antibody appears to give a high protection against experimental challenge with virulent virus.