Characterisation of a Non-pathogenic and Non-protective Infectious Rabbit Lagovirus Related to RHDV

The existence of non-pathogenic RHDV strains was established when a non-lethal virus named rabbit calicivirus (RCV) was characterised in 1996 in Italy. Since then, different RNA sequences related to RHDV have been detected in apparently healthy domestic and wild rabbits, and recently a new lagovirus was identified in Australia. We have characterised from seropositive healthy domestic rabbits a non-lethal lagovirus that differs from RHDV in terms of pathogenicity, tissue tropism and capsid protein sequence. Phylogenetic analyses have revealed that it is close to the Ashington strain and to the RCV, but distinct. We proved experimentally that it is infectious but non-pathogenic and demonstrated that, contrary to the other described non-pathogenic lagoviruses, it induces antibodies that do not protect against RHDV. Our results indicate the existence of a gradient of cross-protection between circulating strains, from non-protective, partially protective to protective strains, and highlight the extent of diversity within the genus Lagovirus.