Emergence of Pathogenicity in Lagoviruses: Evolution from Pre-existing Nonpathogenic Strains or through a Species Jump?

The article deals with mechanism of genetic determinism of pathogenecity in Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV). Topics discussed include the types of RHDV strains, the evolution of the viruses from pre-existing nonpathogenic viruses and species jump, and documentation of RHDV strains in Iberian hares. The origins of European leporids with lagoviruses are also discussed.