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Journal articles on the topic 'European rabbit in Australia'
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1
Jahnke, Marlene, Edward C. Holmes, Peter J. Kerr, John D. Wright, and Tanja Strive. "Evolution and Phylogeography of the Nonpathogenic Calicivirus RCV-A1 in Wild Rabbits in Australia." Journal of Virology 84, no. 23 (September 22, 2010): 12397–404. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00777-10.
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ABSTRACT Despite its potential importance for the biological control of European rabbits, relatively little is known about the evolution and molecular epidemiology of rabbit calicivirus Australia 1 (RCV-A1). To address this issue we undertook an extensive evolutionary analysis of 36 RCV-A1 samples collected from wild rabbit populations in southeast Australia between 2007 and 2009. Based on phylogenetic analysis of the entire capsid sequence, six clades of RCV-A1 were defined, each exhibiting strong population subdivision. Strikingly, our estimates of the time to the most recent common ancestor of RCV-A1 coincide with the introduction of rabbits to Australia in the mid-19th century. Subsequent divergence events visible in the RCV-A1 phylogenies likely reflect key moments in the history of the European rabbit in Australia, most notably the bottlenecks in rabbit populations induced by the two viral biocontrol agents used on the Australian continent, myxoma virus and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV). RCV-A1 strains therefore exhibit strong phylogeographic separation and may constitute a useful tool to study recent host population dynamics and migration patterns, which in turn could be used to monitor rabbit control in Australia.
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Mutze, Greg, Nicki De Preu, Trish Mooney, Dylan Koerner, Darren McKenzie, Ron Sinclair, John Kovaliskli, and David Peacock. "Substantial numerical decline in South Australian rabbit populations following the detection of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2." Veterinary Record 182, no. 20 (March 8, 2018): 574. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.104734.
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Lagovirus europaeus GI.2, also commonly known as rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2, was first detected at two long-term monitoring sites for European rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, in South Australia, in mid-2016. Numbers of rabbits in the following 12–18 months were reduced to approximately 20 per cent of average numbers in the preceding 10 years. The impact recorded at the two South Australian sites, if widespread in Australia and persistent for several years, is likely to be of enormous economic and environmental benefit.
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Peacock, David E., and Ron G. Sinclair. "Longevity record for a wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from South Australia." Australian Mammalogy 31, no. 1 (2009): 65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am08108.
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A population of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) has been monitored since November 1996 through mark–recapture as part of a longitudinal epidemiological study into two Australian rabbit biocontrol agents, rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) and myxomatosis. A female rabbit, first captured as a subadult in late November 1999, was recaptured 18 times before its final capture at the end of February 2007. The longevity of this rabbit, being from its calculated birth date to the date it was last captured, was 7.6 years. A review of the literature indicates this to be the longest lifespan recorded for a European rabbit in the wild.
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Berman, D., M. Brennan, and P. Elsworth. "How can warren destruction by ripping control European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on large properties in the Australian arid zone?" Wildlife Research 38, no. 1 (2011): 77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr09178.
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Context For over 100 years, control efforts have been unable to stop rabbits causing damage to cattle production and native plants and animals on large properties in arid parts of Australia. Warren destruction by ripping has shown promise, but doubts about long-term success and the perceived expense of treating vast areas have led to this technique not being commonly used. Aims This study measured the long-term reduction in rabbit activity and calculated the potential cost saving associated with treating just the areas where rabbits are believed to survive drought. We also considered whether ripping should be used in a full-scale rabbit control program on a property where rabbits have been exceptionally resilient to the influence of biological and other control measures. Methods Rabbits were counted along spotlight transects before warrens were ripped and during the two years after ripping, in treated and untreated plots. Rabbit activity was recorded to determine the immediate and long-term impact of ripping, up to seven years after treatment. The costs of ripping warrens within different distances from drought refuge areas were calculated. Key results Destroying rabbit warrens by ripping caused an immediate reduction in rabbit activity and there were still 98% fewer rabbits counted by spotlight in ripped plots five months after ripping. Seven years after ripping no active warrens were found in ripped plots, whereas 57% of warrens in unripped plots showed signs of rabbit activity. The cost of ripping only the areas where rabbits were likely to seek refuge from drought was calculated to be less than 4% of the cost of ripping all warrens on the property. Conclusions Destroying rabbit warrens by ripping is a very effective way of reducing rabbit numbers on large properties in arid Australia. Ripping should commence in areas used by rabbits to survive drought. It is possible that no further ripping will be required. Implications Strategic destruction of warrens in drought refuge areas could provide an alternative to biological control for managing rabbits on large properties in the Australian arid zone.
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Mutze, Greg, Brian Cooke, and Scott Jennings. "Estimating density-dependent impacts of European rabbits on Australian tree and shrub populations." Australian Journal of Botany 64, no. 2 (2016): 142. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt15208.
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Introduced European rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, can severely damage Australian native vegetation but the problem is difficult to quantify because simple methods to estimate rabbit impacts are lacking. Management decision-making is often uncertain because of unknown relationships between rabbit density and damage. We tested simple quantitative sampling methods using belt transects to detect differences in critical characteristics of perennial vegetation communities affected by rabbit browsing: damage to individual juvenile shrubs and trees, and loss of recruitment cohorts. Rabbit density and relative abundance of larger herbivores were estimated from dung pellet density. The prevalence of identifiable rabbit browse on juvenile plants increased with increasing rabbit density and was higher for plant species considered by previous authors to be highly palatable than for moderately palatable or unpalatable species. At densities of ≥0.5 rabbits ha–1, highly palatable plant species were severely damaged as juveniles and cohorts in 0.3–1.0 m height classes and 5–20 mm basal diameter classes were missing. Similar damage became apparent in moderately palatable species at 2 rabbits ha–1 but was rarely seen in unpalatable species. Within species, size cohort evenness was inversely related to the proportion of surviving juveniles with identifiable rabbit damage. The effect of rabbits on native vegetation condition can be recorded in a simple manner suitable for identifying density-damage relationships and changes in vegetation condition over time. It is particularly useful in setting target densities below which rabbits must be managed to maintain natural plant recruitment and ecosystem function in conservation reserves and pastoral grazing properties of southern Australia.
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King, DR, AJ Oliver, and SH Wheeler. "The European Rabbit Flea, Spilopsyllus Cuniculi, in South-Western Australia." Wildlife Research 12, no. 2 (1985): 227. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9850227.
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Spilopsyllus cuniculi, a vector of myxomatosis, was introduced by various methods at several sites in the south-west of Western Australia in May 1969 for the biological control of rabbits. It spread rapidly and within 14 months all rabbits collected within about 5 km of one of the release sites were infested with fleas. Further introductions of the flea during the past decade have resulted in a wide distribution for it throughout the south-west of the state. Flea numbers fluctuate seasonally and are highest in reproductively active female rabbits in winter and spring. Since the introductions of the flea, the timing of epizootics of myxomatosis has changed and their effect on rabbit populations has increased.
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Wheeler, SH, and DR King. "The European Rabbit in South- Western Australia II. Reproduction." Wildlife Research 12, no. 2 (1985): 197. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9850197.
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'The reproduction of the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), at two intensive study sites in south-western Australia is compared with reproductive data from rabbits taken throughout the coastal and inland districts of the south-west region. South-western Australia has hot, arid summers and cool wet winters. Rabbit breeding in the region is characteristic of that in Mediterranean climates, with a winter breeding season which begins when pastures germinate with the initial winter rainfall (April-May) and ceases when the pastures dry out at the end of the year. Unseasonal cyclonic rain can promote pasture growth in summer, leading to limited breeding. At all times of year there were some fertile males, with fewest at the height of summer, followed by an increase before the winter breeding season. Near the coast, male fertility increased more rapidly than further inland. At our two study sites at Cape Naturaliste (on the coast) and Chidlow (55 km inland) the pattern was similar to that in the coastal district. Production of kittens was greater near the coast than further inland, because near the coast there was a high early peak in incidence of pregnancy, a second peak late in the year, and litters remained large throughout the breeding season. In the inland district, the early incidence of pregnancy was lower, there was no second peak, and litter sizes fell at the end of the year. Female reproduction at Cape Naturaliste was typical of that in the coastal district, but that at Chidlow was typical of the inland. The second peak of pregnancy at Cape Naturaliste was due to intensive breeding by subadults born earlier in the year. The differences in female reproduction and productivity between the coastal and inland districts are probably because pasture growth begins earlier and is better in the more fertile coastal areas than in the inland. That nutrition is better for rabbits in the coastal areas than in the inland is reflected in higher growth rates of kittens at Cape Naturaliste than at Chidlow. It is postulated, on the basis of the literature and the results of our studies, that the factor which determines whether rabbits will breed is the presence of growing vegetation, and that the intensity of breeding is influenced by a seasonal cycle in fertility.
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Elsworth, P., D. Berman, and M. Brennan. "Changes in small native animal populations following control of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) by warren ripping in the Australian arid zone." Wildlife Research 46, no. 4 (2019): 343. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr18088.
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Context European rabbits have a great impact on native vegetation and small vertebrates in Australia. Rabbits consume vegetation and promote invasive plants and invasive predators, and compete directly and indirectly with native animals suppressing those populations. Aims We explored the changes in small native vertebrates and invertebrates following the removal of rabbits. Methods Warren ripping was undertaken on a property in south-western Queensland at four sites and the results of pitfall trapping were compared with four nearby paired control sites. Invertebrates and small mammals were counted in pitfall traps, and bird surveys were conducted in all treatment and control sites. Key results Following a rabbit-control program, we observed a four-fold increase in the number of dunnarts trapped in treatment plots, whereas no change was observed in control plots. The spring following the rabbit-control program also saw an increase in some lizards in treatment plots. Conclusions The presence of rabbits in arid-zone Australia can suppress native animal populations. Implications Many species of small native mammals and lizards rely on food sources that fluctuate greatly with environmental conditions. The presence of rabbits altering the landscape, supporting introduced predators, reducing vegetation and, therefore, insects, adds increased pressure for insectivorous species. Rabbit control through warren ripping in arid-zone Australia is an effective method to reduce rabbit numbers, and allowed for an increase in small vertebrates in treated areas.
9
Mutze, Greg, Brian Cooke, Mark Lethbridge, and Scott Jennings. "A rapid survey method for estimating population density of European rabbits living in native vegetation." Rangeland Journal 36, no. 3 (2014): 239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj13117.
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European rabbits are severe environmental pests in Australia but reporting of density-damage relationships has been hindered by a lack of simple methods to estimate the density of rabbit populations in native vegetation. A methodology for quantifying rabbit densities suitable for use in sparse populations of rabbits in conjunction with surveys of the condition of native vegetation is proposed. Dung pellets were counted in 11 629 regularly-spaced quadrats of 0.1 m2 in semiarid, coastal and cool-temperate areas of southern Australia. Mean pellet counts in latrines and the relationship between dung counts outside of latrines and the proportion of quadrats falling on latrines were quantified. This allowed density of dung pellets to be estimated by using a correction factor for latrines instead of attempting to count all pellets within quadrats that included parts of latrines. Rabbit density was calculated from pellet density based on mean pellet size, pellet breakdown rate and estimates of rabbits’ dry matter intake and digestive efficiency. Results were validated against estimates of rabbit density from long-term studies using a combination of spotlight transect counts and burrow entrance counts. The proposed methodology allows estimates of rabbit density in native vegetation to be obtained from just a few hours work and can be used in conjunction with surveys of the condition of native vegetation to quantify rabbit impacts. This methodology is seen as particularly useful in providing a tool to allow rabbit densities to be estimated and then compared with the thresholds, determined separately, at which damage occurs for given ecosystems.
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Peng, Chen, Sherry L. Haller, Masmudur M. Rahman, Grant McFadden, and Stefan Rothenburg. "Myxoma virus M156 is a specific inhibitor of rabbit PKR but contains a loss-of-function mutation in Australian virus isolates." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113, no. 14 (February 22, 2016): 3855–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1515613113.
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Myxoma virus (MYXV) is a rabbit-specific poxvirus, which is highly virulent in European rabbits. The attenuation of MYXV and the increased resistance of rabbits following the release of MYXV in Australia is one of the best-documented examples of host–pathogen coevolution. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the restriction of MYXV infection to rabbits and MYXV attenuation in the field, we have studied the interaction of the MYXV protein M156 with the host antiviral protein kinase R (PKR). In yeast and cell-culture transfection assays, M156 only inhibited rabbit PKR but not PKR from other tested mammalian species. Infection assays with human HeLa PKR knock-down cells, which were stably transfected with human or rabbit PKR, revealed that only human but not rabbit PKR was able to restrict MYXV infection, whereas both PKRs were able to restrict replication of a vaccinia virus (VACV) strain that lacks the PKR inhibitors E3 and K3. Inactivation of M156R led to MYXV virus attenuation in rabbit cells, which was rescued by the ectopic expression of VACV E3 and K3. We further show that a mutation in the M156 encoding gene that was identified in more than 50% of MYXV field isolates from Australia resulted in an M156 variant that lost its ability to inhibit rabbit PKR and led to virus attenuation. The species-specific inhibition of rabbit PKR by M156 and the M156 loss-of-function in Australian MYXV field isolates might thus contribute to the species specificity of MYXV and to the attenuation in the field, respectively.
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Mutze, Greg, Ron Sinclair, David Peacock, John Kovaliski, and Lorenzo Capucci. "Does a benign calicivirus reduce the effectiveness of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) in Australia? Experimental evidence from field releases of RHDV on bait." Wildlife Research 37, no. 4 (2010): 311. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr09162.
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Context. European rabbits are serious environmental and agricultural pests throughout their range in Australia. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) greatly reduced rabbit numbers in arid central Australia but had less impact in cooler, higher-rainfall areas. RHDV-like benign caliciviruses (bCVs) have been implicated in limiting the impact of RHDV in the higher-rainfall regions of Australia and also in Europe. Aims. Experimental releases of RHDV on bait were tested as a means of initiating disease outbreaks. Serological evidence of antibodies to bCVs was examined to determine whether they reduce mortality rates and/or spread of the released RHDV, and how that might influence the effectiveness of future RHDV releases for rabbit management. Methods. Four experimental releases were conducted in high-rainfall and coastal regions of southern Australia. Virus activity was implied from recapture rates and serological changes in marked rabbits, and genetic sequencing of virus recovered from dead rabbits. Changes in rabbit abundance were estimated from spotlight transect counts. Key results. Release of RHDV on bait produced disease outbreaks that challenged almost all animals within the general release area and spread up to 4 km beyond the release sites. Recapture rates were high in marked rabbits that possessed antibodies from previous exposure to RHDV and extremely low amongst rabbits that lacked any detectable antibodies. Rabbits carrying antibodies classified as being due to previous infection with bCVs had recapture rates that were dependent on circulating antibody titre and were ~55% of recapture rates in rabbits with clear antibodies to RHDV. Conclusions. This is the first quantified evidence that antibodies produced against bCVs provide significant protection against RHD outbreaks in field populations of rabbits. Implications. bCVs can greatly reduce the impact of RHDV on wild-rabbit populations in Australia and presumably elsewhere. RHDV can be effectively released on bait although further releases are likely to be of minor or inconsistent benefit for controlling rabbit numbers where bCVs are common.
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Robley, Alan J., Jeff Short, and Stuart Bradley. "Do European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) influence the population ecology of the burrowing bettong (Bettongia lesueur)?" Wildlife Research 29, no. 5 (2002): 423. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr01007.
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The influence of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on the survival of medium-sized native mammals remains unclear despite 60 years of speculation. Most medium-sized native species that might have been affected by the presence of rabbits are extinct, rare, or endangered. This limits the opportunity to study their interaction with introduced herbivores. We studied the effect of changes in rabbit density on aspects of the ecology of burrowing bettongs (Bettongia lesueur) reintroduced to mainland Australia on Heirisson Prong, Shark Bay, Western Australia. The rabbit population at the site grew to a 10-year high concomitant with a dry summer and low and declining pasture cover. Rabbit browsing led to widespread defoliation of, and subsequent death of, many palatable shrubs. Despite these adverse conditions, reproduction, recruitment and rate of increase of bettongs did not vary with changes in rabbit density, nor did the survival of adult males and females. This work casts doubt on the idea that competition with an introduced herbivore, such as the rabbit, was an important factor in the decline of the burrowing bettong. It highlights the need to understand the ecologies and life histories of native and introduced species in order to manage for the long-term persistence of native species.
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Cooke, B. D., and F. Fenner. "Rabbit haemorrhagic disease and the biological control of wild rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, in Australia and New Zealand." Wildlife Research 29, no. 6 (2002): 689. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr02010.
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This review considers the history of the discovery of the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and its spread throughout the world in domestic and wild rabbits, which led eventually to its deliberate release into Australia and New Zealand for the control of a major pest, the introduced wild rabbit. The physical and genetic structure of RHDV is now well understood, and its pathogenic effects are also well known. The epidemiology of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) has been clearly documented in the field in European countries, Australia and New Zealand. Since its initial spread through largely naïve populations of wild rabbits it has established a pattern of mainly annual epizootics in most areas. The timing of epizootics is dependent on climatic variables that determine when rabbits reproduce and the appearance of new, susceptible rabbits in the population. The activity of RHDV is also influenced by climatic extremes that presumably affect its persistence and the behaviour of insect vectors, and evidence is growing that pre-existing RHDV-like viruses in some parts of Australia may interact with RHDV, reducing its effectiveness. The timing of epizootics is further modified by the resistance to RHD shown by young rabbits below 5 weeks of age and the presence of protective maternal antibodies that also protect against fatal RHD. RHD has reduced rabbit abundance, particularly in dry regions, but rabbits in cooler, high-rainfall areas have been able to maintain their populations. In Australia and New Zealand, RHD has raised the prospects for managing rabbits in low rainfall areas and brought substantial economic and environmental benefits.
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Varela, Fernando. "Myxomatosis and Radioactivity in Carlos Saura’s La caza (The Hunt, 1966)." Environmental Humanities 14, no. 1 (March 1, 2022): 129–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1215/22011919-9481473.
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Abstract The myxoma virus (MYXV) was used in Australia in 1950 to control, albeit temporarily, the overpopulation of the invasive European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). A different strand of the virus was released in France two years later, resulting in the drastic decline of European rabbits in the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe. The MYXV’s disease, myxomatosis, is a highly contagious and normally fatal infection in a rabbit species lacking resistance, such as the European rabbit. As myxomatosis was spreading across the European continent, Spain started to invest in nuclear energy. The use of myxomatosis as a bioweapon and the creation of nuclear energy capable of radioactive pollution are also at the core of Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura’s La caza (The Hunt, 1966). This article argues that The Hunt provides an important examination on extinction and biopolitics at both local and global levels through its portrayal of myxomatosis and radioactivity.
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Twigg, Laurie E., Tim J. Lowe, Gary R. Martin, Amanda G. Wheeler, Garry S. Gray, Sandra L. Griffin, Catherine M. O'Reilly, Tania L. Butler, David J. Robinson, and Peter H. Hubach. "The ecology of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in coastal southern Western Australia." Wildlife Research 25, no. 2 (1998): 97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr97066.
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Demographic changes in three free-ranging rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations were monitored over 4 years in southern Western Australia. Peak densities followed periods of high rainfall and pasture biomass. The breeding season was prolonged, often extending from at least April to November, with some pregnancies occurring outside this period. Fecundity, determined by the autopsy of pregnant offsite rabbits and the known length of each breeding season, appeared to be relatively high, with the potential for 34–39 kittens doe-1 year-1; however, because not all females are pregnant in all months, the overall productivity of these populations was estimated at 25–30 kittens adult female-1 year-1. Exponential rates of increase varied from 0.13 to 0.30 during the breeding periods and –0.05 to –0.14 during the nonbreeding season. Kitten survival was generally low whereas some adults lived for more than 5 years. Two patterns of myxomatosis were observed: annual epizootics of the disease (3 of 4 years) and an epidemic that slowly spread over many months. European rabbit fleas were most abundant during winter–spring and attained highest densities on adult female rabbits.
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Vlachos, Alexandra. "Fortress Farming in Western Australia? The Problematic History of Separating Native Wildlife from Agricultural Land through the State Barrier Fence." Global Environment 13, no. 2 (June 15, 2020): 368–403. http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/ge.2020.130206.
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The Western Australia (WA) State Barrier Fence stretches 2,023 miles (3,256 kilometres) and divides Australia's largest state. The original 'Rabbit Proof Fence' fence was built from 1901–1907 to stop the westbound expansion of rabbits into the existing and potential agricultural zone of Western Australia. Starting as a seemingly straightforward, albeit costly, solution to protect what was considered a productive landscape, the fence failed to keep out the rabbits. It was subsequently amended, upgraded, re-named and used to serve different purposes: as Vermin Fence and State Barrier Fence (unofficially also Emu Fence or Dog Fence) the fence was designed to exclude native Australian animals such as emus, kangaroos and dingoes. In the Australian 'boom and bust' environment, characterised by extreme temperatures and unpredictable rainfall, interrupting species movement has severe negative impacts on biodiversity – an issue aggravated by the fact that Australia leads in global extinction rates (Woinarski, Burbidge and Harrison, 2015). The twentieth century history of the fence demonstrates the agrarian settlers' struggle with the novelty and otherness of Western Australia's ecological conditions – and severe lack of knowledge thereof. While the strenuous construction, expensive maintenance and doubtful performance of the fence provided useful and early environmental lessons, they seem largely forgotten in contemporary Australia. The WA government recently commenced a controversial $11 million project to extend the State Barrier Fence for another 660 kilometres to reach the Esperance coast, targeting dingoes, emus and kangaroos – once again jeopardising habitat connectivity. This paper examines the environmental history, purposes and impacts of the State Barrier fence, critically discusses the problems associated with European farming and pastoralism in WA, and touches on alternative land-use perspectives and futures.
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Cooke, BD. "Rabbit Burrows as Environments for European Rabbit Fleas, Spilopsyllus-Cuniculi (Dale), in Arid South-Australia." Australian Journal of Zoology 38, no. 3 (1990): 317. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo9900317.
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The temperature and humidity of air within rabbit burrows was recorded for sites on either side of the margin of the distribution of the rabbit flea, Spilopsyllus cuniculi, in South Australia. The microclimate in the burrows differed significantly across this margin, and the differences in temperatures and humidities were large enough to have significant effects on flea populations. At sites where fleas occurred, the relative humidity of burrow air was above 70% and usually between 80 and 90% RH for at least 4-5 months during the winter and spring. This not only provided optimum conditions for the survival of flea larvae in the rabbits' nests, but also should have enabled the flea populations to achieve their full reproductive potential. High humidity of burrow air at these sites during summer would also favour the survival of free-living adult fleas. At those sites where fleas did not occur, the humidity of burrow air is generally unsuitable for the survival of larvae or free-living adult fleas.
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E. Twigg, Laurie, Tim J. Lowe, and Gary R. Martin. "The presence and implications of viable seed in the faeces of invasive free-ranging European Rabbits and Red Foxes." Pacific Conservation Biology 15, no. 3 (2009): 158. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc090158.
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Invasion by weeds and other undesirable plants threatens global biodiversity. However, the role of mammals in maintaining and spreading weeds is often overlooked. Here we confirm that two widely distributed and abundant Australian mammalian pests, the European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes), can spread viable seed. Our assessment mainly involved determining the number and viability of seeds recovered from faeces of free-ranging individuals inhabiting several areas within the Mediterranean region of south-western Australia, an internationally recognized biodiversity hotspot. In summer, viable seeds were recovered from 3?4% of the rabbit faecal pellets (n = 190) compared to 21?40% of pellets in autumn (n = 235). Ten (77%) of the 13 species of seed identified were weeds. Of the 1,136 seeds recovered, 16% germinated. In all, 13-30% of rabbits passed viable seeds in summer, increasing to 44?73% of rabbits in autumn. In captive wild rabbits, mean passage time of marked seed through the intestinal tract ranged from 4?7 h. This, together with the small home ranges of Australian European rabbits, suggests that they may generally disperse seeds over 1?2 km. Nine to 27% of foxes passed viable seed. Although 48% of scats (n = 62) contained whole seed, only 12.9% of all scats contained viable seed (range 9.1%?19.0%). Viable seeds (4/8) were also recovered from the hides of some shot foxes. In all, 63% (12/19) of seed species identified in the scats and pelts of foxes were weeds. Rabbits (primary dispersal) and foxes (primary, and secondary dispersal via seeds ingested with prey) may be important dispersers of viable seed, and may be essential for less common, but important, long-distance plant dispersal, particularly by some invasive species. Thus, suppression of weeds can be added to the benefits of reducing the abundance of rabbits and foxes to protect the unique biota and agricultural production in southwestern Australia.
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Pacioni, Carlo, Robyn N. Hall, Tanja Strive, David S. L. Ramsey, Mandev S. Gill, and Timothy G. Vaughan. "Comparative Epidemiology of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus Strains from Viral Sequence Data." Viruses 15, no. 1 (December 21, 2022): 21. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/v15010021.
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Since their introduction in 1859, European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have had a devastating impact on agricultural production and biodiversity in Australia, with competition and land degradation by rabbits being one of the key threats to agricultural and biodiversity values in Australia. Biocontrol agents, with the most important being the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 1 (RHDV1), constitute the most important landscape-scale control strategies for rabbits in Australia. Monitoring field strain dynamics is complex and labour-intensive. Here, using phylodynamic models to analyse the available RHDV molecular data, we aimed to: investigate the epidemiology of various strains, use molecular data to date the emergence of new variants and evaluate whether different strains are outcompeting one another. We determined that the two main pathogenic lagoviruses variants in Australia (RHDV1 and RHDV2) have had similar dynamics since their release, although over different timeframes (substantially shorter for RHDV2). We also found a strong geographic difference in their activities and evidence of overall competition between the two viruses.
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Foran, BD, WA Low, and BW Strong. "The Response of Rabbit Populations and Vegetation to Rabbit Control on a Calcareous Shrubby Grassland in Central Australia." Wildlife Research 12, no. 2 (1985): 237. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9850237.
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The effect of rabbit control methods on rabbit populations and subsequent changes in vegetation were assessed over 2 years on a calcareous shrubby grassland in central Australia. Warren ripping and fumigating decreased mean population levels to four rabbits per kilometre of spotlight transect, and 1080 poisoning decreased mean levels to 9 km-1, compared to the untreated levels of 20 km-l. Release of European rabbit fleas did not have any significant effect on rabbit populations. In the untreated rabbit populations, 68% of the fluctuation in numbers was accounted for by total rainfalls in the previous summer and the previous winter, and by a forage greenness rating. Experimental control of rabbits combined with exclosures indicated that grazing by high numbers of rabbits reduced the frequency of Enneapogon spp. at one site whereas levels rose in all other sites during the two years of good rainfall. The frequency of several species, such as Chenopodium cristatum, Phyllanthus rhytidospermus and Portulaca oleracea, was highly correlated with rabbit density in the previous year, suggesting that rabbit grazing promotes their increase. Grazing'by rabbits alone depressed standing biomass in the following season by 300 kg ha-1 from a maximum 1200 kg ha-1 within the exclosures. Cattle grazing further decreased biomass by 150 kg ha-1. Seedlings of Acacia kempeana were almost absent in those areas open to rabbit grazing, but they were reasonably dense where rabbits were excluded. However, the vegetation response over the 2 years of experiment was due mainly to seasonal changes rather than rabbit control, and does not justify the expense of rabbit control at this stage. Substantial improvement in vegetation composition over the longer term may alter this conclusion.
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Peacock, David, and Ian Abbott. "The mongoose in Australia: failed introduction of a biological control agent." Australian Journal of Zoology 58, no. 4 (2010): 205. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo10043.
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We reviewed historical literature and obtained nearly 200 records of the mongoose in Australia up to 1942. Although the earliest importations (from 1855) were for its snake-killing prowess, often as entertainment, its perceived potential as a control agent for the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) plague saw concerted introductions made in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, primarily in 1883 and 1884. At least 1000 mongoose were released to control rabbits at 14 reported release locations in these states. As many as 700 of these mongoose were reported released in one New South Wales rabbit-control trial. These numbers indicate that insufficient propagule pressure does not explain why Australia escaped the additional devastation of an established mongoose population. The only reason stated for the failure of the mongoose releases to control rabbits is destruction of the mongoose by rabbit trappers, both inadvertently and in seeking to protect their employment. Unfavourable climate was implicated by CLIMATCH modelling in the failure of all releases, especially those into semiarid areas such as western New South Wales. No contemporary detail could be located of the reported 1884 failed introduction of ‘numbers’ of mongoose into North Queensland to control rats in sugarcane plantations.
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Alves, Joel M., Miguel Carneiro, Jade Y. Cheng, Ana Lemos de Matos, Masmudur M. Rahman, Liisa Loog, Paula F. Campos, et al. "Parallel adaptation of rabbit populations to myxoma virus." Science 363, no. 6433 (February 14, 2019): 1319–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aau7285.
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In the 1950s the myxoma virus was released into European rabbit populations in Australia and Europe, decimating populations and resulting in the rapid evolution of resistance. We investigated the genetic basis of resistance by comparing the exomes of rabbits collected before and after the pandemic. We found a strong pattern of parallel evolution, with selection on standing genetic variation favoring the same alleles in Australia, France, and the United Kingdom. Many of these changes occurred in immunity-related genes, supporting a polygenic basis of resistance. We experimentally validated the role of several genes in viral replication and showed that selection acting on an interferon protein has increased the protein’s antiviral effect.
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FENNER, F. "Deliberate introduction of European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, into Australia." Revue Scientifique et Technique de l'OIE 29, no. 1 (April 1, 2010): 103–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.20506/rst.29.1.1964.
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Wheeler, SH, and DR King. "The European Rabbit in South-Western Australia. III. Survival." Wildlife Research 12, no. 2 (1985): 213. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9850213.
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The survival of Oryctolagus cuniculus was investigated at 2 sites in the southern part of Western Australia using live-trapping. Winter myxomatosis appears to have been a major factor in determining the changes in population size, through its effect on the survival of young rabbits.
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Bruce, John S., and Laurie E. Twigg. "Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus: serological evidence of a non-virulent RHDV-like virus in south-western Australia." Wildlife Research 31, no. 6 (2004): 605. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr04009.
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Although several different cELISAs have been used to assess the exposure of European rabbits to rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), the interpretation of the results of such assays is not always straight-forward. Here we report on such difficulties, and on the likely presence of a non-virulent rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus–like virus (nvRHDV-LV) in south-western Australia. Analysis of sera collected from European rabbits at Kojaneerup (near Albany) in Western Australia provided the first serological evidence of the likely presence of a nvRHDV-LV in wild rabbit populations outside the east coast of Australia and New Zealand, before the deliberate introduction of RHDV as biological control agent in both countries. Six out of 30 rabbits (20%) sampled 1–2 months before the known arrival of RHDV at Kojaneerup were seropositive to RHD on the basis of their IgG isoELISAs. However, none of these positive samples were positive for the RHDV antibody cELISA (1 : 10), indicating likely exposure to nvRHDV-LV. Subsequent serological analysis of 986 rabbits sampled between September 1996 and August 1999 at Kojaneerup indicated that nvRHDV-LV persisted in these rabbits following the natural arrival of RHDV in September 1996. At least 10–34% of rabbits appeared to have been exposed to nvRHDV-LV during the 3-year study. The presence of nvRHDV-LV seemed to offer only limited protection to rabbits from RHDV during the initial epizootic; however, persistence of nvRHDV-LV may have mitigated further RHDV activity after this epizootic. Fewer than 1% of rabbits (9 of 986) showed evidence of RHDV-challenge during the 30 months following the initial RHDV epizootic. Furthermore, except for the epizootic in September 1996, no clinical signs of the disease were apparent in the population until RHDV was deliberately reintroduced in April 1999. Mortality of rabbits exposed to RHDV at this time appeared to be correlated with their IgG isoELISA titre.
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Stewart, Alistair. "Responding to the Plight of Species and Landscapes." Australian Journal of Environmental Education 30, no. 1 (July 2014): 126. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/aee.2014.36.
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Have you heard of the White-footed Rabbit Rat, or the Christmas Island Pipistrelle? The White-footed Rabbit Rat was thought to be widespread in south-east Australia but became extinct within 3 decades of European colonisation (Tzaros, 2005). The Christmas Island Pipistrelle, a micro bat, is probably the most recent species to become extinct in Australia (Flannery, 2012).
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Mahar, Jackie E., Leila Nicholson, John-Sebastian Eden, Sebastián Duchêne, Peter J. Kerr, Janine Duckworth, Vernon K. Ward, Edward C. Holmes, and Tanja Strive. "Benign Rabbit Caliciviruses Exhibit Evolutionary Dynamics Similar to Those of Their Virulent Relatives." Journal of Virology 90, no. 20 (August 10, 2016): 9317–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01212-16.
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ABSTRACTTwo closely related caliciviruses cocirculate in Australia: rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and rabbit calicivirus Australia 1 (RCV-A1). RCV-A1 causes benign enteric infections in the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Australia and New Zealand, while its close relative RHDV causes a highly pathogenic infection of the liver in the same host. The comparison of these viruses provides important information on the nature and trajectory of virulence evolution, particularly as highly virulent strains of RHDV may have evolved from nonpathogenic ancestors such as RCV-A1. To determine the evolution of RCV-A1 we sequenced the full-length genomes of 44 RCV-A1 samples isolated from healthy rabbits and compared key evolutionary parameters to those of its virulent relative, RHDV. Despite their marked differences in pathogenicity and tissue tropism, RCV-A1 and RHDV have evolved in a very similar manner. Both viruses have evolved at broadly similar rates, suggesting that their dynamics are largely shaped by high background mutation rates, and both exhibit occasional recombination and an evolutionary environment dominated by purifying selection. In addition, our comparative analysis revealed that there have been multiple changes in both virulence and tissue tropism in the evolutionary history of these and related viruses. Finally, these new genomic data suggest that either RCV-A1 was introduced into Australia after the introduction of myxoma virus as a biocontrol agent in 1950 or there was drastic reduction of the rabbit population, and hence of RCV-A1 genetic diversity, perhaps coincident with the emergence of myxoma virus.IMPORTANCEThe comparison of closely related viruses that differ profoundly in propensity to cause disease in their hosts offers a powerful opportunity to reveal the causes of changes in virulence and to study how such changes alter the evolutionary dynamics of these pathogens. Here we describe such a novel comparison involving two closely related RNA viruses that cocirculate in Australia, the highly virulent rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and the nonpathogenic rabbit calicivirus Australia 1 (RCV-A1). Both viruses infect the European rabbit, but they differ in virulence, tissue tropism, and mechanisms of transmission. Surprisingly, and despite these fundamental differences, RCV-A1 and RHDV have evolved at very similar (high) rates and with strong purifying selection. Furthermore, candidate key mutations were identified that may play a role in virulence and/or tissue tropism and therefore warrant further investigation.
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King, DR, and SH Wheeler. "The European Rabbit in South-Western Australia. I. Study Sites and Population Dynamics." Wildlife Research 12, no. 2 (1985): 183. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9850183.
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Descriptions are given of 2 study sites in the south-west of Western Australia, on which rabbit numbers were monitored. Breeding seasons began in March or April, with the onset of winter rain, and rabbit numbers peaked in October-December, followed by a fall over the non-breeding period in summer. Winter epizootics of myxomatosis, which were spread by Spilopsyllus cuniculi, caused severe declines in rabbit numbers at both sites. Summer epizootics at one site before the introduction of the flea as a biological control agent, and rabbit mortality during these, was lower than in the winter epizootics.
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White, Piran C. L., Geraldine Newton-Cross, Michael Gray, Roland Ashford, Catherine White, and Glen Saunders. "Spatial interactions and habitat use of rabbits on pasture and implications for the spread of rabbit haemorrhagic disease in New South Wales." Wildlife Research 30, no. 1 (2003): 49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr01106.
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Successful control of European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations in Australia has been achieved with the use of disease, initially myxomatosis and more recently rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD). Predicting the effectiveness of disease as a control agent depends on understanding the spatial and social organisation of its host population. We radio-tracked 37 rabbits from adjacent burrow systems during May and June 1999. Surface-dwelling rabbits had larger home ranges and core areas and a higher proportion of vegetation cover in their ranges than warren-based rabbits. Interactions between rabbit dyads from the same warren showed greater range overlap than those involving rabbits from different warrens and those involving itinerants. Static interaction was high and positive for intra-warren dyads, but low and negative for inter-warren, warren–surface and surface–surface dyads. These patterns of range use and interaction behaviour create a hierarchical contact and transmission structure within the rabbit population that is likely to vary according to external factors such as population density, resource availability, season, climate and the environment. Quantifying these links between the environment and the transmission process is important to increase our understanding of RHD as an effective management tool for rabbit populations.
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Cooke, B. D. "Swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) distribution has dramatically increased following sustained biological control of rabbits." Australian Mammalogy 42, no. 3 (2020): 321. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am19037.
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Swamp wallabies have dramatically extended their distribution through western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia over the last 40 years. Newspaper reports from 1875 onwards show that on European settlement, wallaby populations were confined to eastern Victoria, including the ranges around Melbourne, the Otway Ranges and Portland District of south-western Victoria, and a tiny part of south-eastern South Australia. Populations contracted further with intense hunting for the fur trade until the 1930s. In the late 1970s, however, wallabies began spreading into drier habitats than those initially recorded. Possible causes underlying this change in distribution are discussed; some seem unlikely but, because wallabies began spreading soon after the introduction of European rabbit fleas as vectors of myxomatosis, the cumulative effects of releases of biological agents to control rabbits appear important. A caution is given on assuming that thick vegetation in high-rainfall areas provides the only habitat suitable for swamp wallabies, but, most importantly, the study shows how native mammals may benefit if rabbit abundance is reduced.
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Olsen, Jerry, Brian Cooke, Susan Trost, and David Judge. "Is wedge-tailed eagle, Aquila audax, survival and breeding success closely linked to the abundance of European rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus?" Wildlife Research 41, no. 2 (2014): 95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr14033.
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Context Some ecologists argue that nesting success and abundance of wedge-tailed eagles (Aquila audax) are strongly linked to the abundance of introduced wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Consequently, concerns were expressed about eagle population viability when the biological control agent rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) heavily reduced rabbit numbers. However, observations following the spread of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) in Australia and Spain (where Aquila adalberti is an equivalent of A. audax) question this assertion. Eagle numbers did not fall even though rabbits declined regionally by up to 90% in both countries. Aims To reconsider the assumption of a strong link between rabbit abundance and wedge-tailed eagle breeding and population maintenance. Dispelling misconceptions, if any, about the eagles’ dependence on rabbits would benefit the future management of both eagles and rabbits. Methods We reviewed the literature associated with claims that eagles were heavily dependent on rabbits and asked whether these views could be substantiated given the lack of changes in eagle abundance following the spread of RHD. Data on eagle egg-clutch size and nesting success were also reviewed. Conclusions There is little evidence that eagles depend heavily on rabbits as prey. Instead, as rabbits decline, more kangaroos, reptiles and birds are eaten, partly because more native prey becomes available. Eagles have a high proportion of rabbits in their diets mainly where degradation of natural ecosystems, including that caused by rabbits, results in native prey being rare or unavailable. There has been minimal variation in average clutch size following major perturbations in rabbit population size. Implications Rather than perpetuating the idea that high populations of rabbits are needed for wedge-tailed eagle conservation, resources would be better re-directed into understanding continental-scale eagle population dynamics. This would provide a more rational framework to assist decisions on future biological control agents for rabbits.
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Mutze, G. "Barking up the wrong tree? Are livestock or rabbits the greater threat to rangeland biodiversity in southern Australia?" Rangeland Journal 38, no. 6 (2016): 523. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj16047.
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Increasing provision of permanent water points has put most Australian pastoral rangelands within grazing distance of sheep, cattle, kangaroos and large feral herbivores, and there is concern that grazing-sensitive native plants will be lost as a result. Proposals have been developed to conserve plant biodiversity by permanently excluding livestock from any areas that are remote from permanent water, or to buy back pastoral properties and remove existing water points to create large reserves. There is, however, little evidence that water-remote areas provide refuge for grazing-sensitive plants, nor consistent evidence of plant biodiversity loss along gradients of increasing livestock grazing pressure in proximity to water. One of the reasons why that evidence might be lacking is that most livestock studies have not considered the grazing impact of sympatric European rabbits, the most widespread and abundant wild herbivore in southern Australia. Numerous studies have shown that rabbit grazing has a major impact on rangeland vegetation and can prevent regeneration at densities which may be too low to be thought important. Plant biodiversity gradients are readily discernible along gradients of rabbit density in livestock-free reserves. Rabbits are therefore likely to be a significant confounding factor when assessing livestock impacts, or possibly the primary cause of observed patterns of plant diversity. If so, attempts to preserve plant biodiversity by removing livestock are destined to fail in rabbit-grazed areas. Public funds for biodiversity conservation in the pastoral zone might be better spent on co-investment with pastoralists for rabbit control on conservatively stocked properties, rather than on restricting pastoral use of land in livestock-free, rabbit-infested reserves.
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Henzell, Robert P., Brian D. Cooke, and Gregory J. Mutze. "The future biological control of pest populations of European rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus." Wildlife Research 35, no. 7 (2008): 633. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr06164.
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European rabbits are exotic pests in Australia, New Zealand, parts of South America and Europe, and on many islands. Their abundance, and the damage they cause, might be reduced by the release of naturally occurring or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that act as biological control agents (BCAs). Some promising pathogens and parasites of European rabbits and other lagomorphs are discussed, with special reference to those absent from Australia as an example of the range of necessary considerations in any given case. The possibility of introducing these already-known BCAs into areas where rabbits are pests warrants further investigation. The most cost-effective method for finding potentially useful but as-yet undiscovered BCAs would be to maintain a global watch on new diseases and pathologies in domestic rabbits. The absence of wild European rabbits from climatically suitable parts of North and South America and southern Africa may indicate the presence there of useful BCAs, although other explanations for their absence are possible. Until the non-target risks of deploying disseminating GMOs to control rabbits have been satisfactorily minimised, efforts to introduce BCAs into exotic rabbit populations should focus on naturally occurring organisms. The development of safe disseminating GMOs remains an important long-term goal, with the possible use of homing endonuclease genes warranting further investigation.
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Calvete, Carlos, Enrique Pelayo, and Javier Sampietro. "Habitat factors related to wild rabbit population trends after the initial impact of rabbit haemorrhagic disease." Wildlife Research 33, no. 6 (2006): 467. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr05107.
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The European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is an introduced pest species in Australia and New Zealand. Rabbits have a devastating negative impact on agricultural production and biodiversity in these countries, and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) is currently included in control strategies for rabbit populations. On the other hand, the European wild rabbit is a key native prey species in the Iberian Peninsula. Since the arrival of RHD, however, rabbit populations have undergone dramatic decreases and several predator species at risk of extinction are currently dependent on the rabbit population density. Therefore, from the point of view of biodiversity conservation, evaluating habitat correlates and trends of rabbit populations after the first RHD epizootic is of great interest to improve the long-term control or promotion of wild rabbit populations. We estimated the relationship between habitat factors and long-term population trends as well as the relationships between habitat factors and rabbit abundance 2 and 14 years after the arrival of RHD in several Iberian rabbit populations. We observed that only 26% of surveyed populations seemed to experience an increase in rabbit abundance over the last 12 years and that this increase was higher in the low-rabbit-abundance areas of l992, leading to high rabbit abundance in 2004. Our results suggested that short- and long-term impacts of RHD were related to habitat quality. The initial impact of RHD was higher in more suitable habitats, but increasing long-term population trends were positively related to good habitat quality.
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Richardson, B. J., S. Phillips, R. A. Hayes, S. Sindhe, and B. D. Cooke. "Aspects of the biology of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) in coastal eastern Australia." Wildlife Research 34, no. 5 (2007): 398. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr06117.
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A population of wild rabbits in a high-rainfall area near Sydney, New South Wales, was studied for 8 years to investigate the population biology of the rabbit in a high-rainfall area, to examine factors affecting the length of the breeding season, and to describe the biology of RHDV and a RHDV-like virus in the population. The breeding season was short, starting in June and ending in October, though some conceptions occurred in every month of the year. Supplementary feeding with grain, germinated wheat or high-protein rabbit pellets did not extend the breeding season, so predictions that the length of the breeding season and occurrence of anaemia were influenced by a lack of protein in the diet were not upheld. Myxomatosis appeared in late summer each year as in inland southern Australia. Studies of the immunostatus of the population showed that, even in the years before RHDV was released in Australia, 80–100% of adult animals were seropositive when tested with ELISA specifically designed to detect antibodies to RHDV, arguably owing to the presence of a RHDV-like virus. The proportion of seropositive animals fell when annual rainfall was below 600 mm and rose when it was above 700 mm. Presumably, in areas where rainfall is usually low the proportion of the population infected with the putative RHDV-like virus would slowly drop to a low level, providing a possible basis for the different epidemiological patterns found for RHDV in different parts of Australia.
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Shanmuganandam, Somasundhari, Yiheng Hu, Tanja Strive, Benjamin Schwessinger, and Robyn N. Hall. "Uncovering the microbiome of invasive sympatric European brown hares and European rabbits in Australia." PeerJ 8 (August 18, 2020): e9564. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9564.
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Background European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) and European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are invasive pest species in Australia, with rabbits having a substantially larger environmental impact than hares. As their spatial distribution in Australia partially overlaps, we conducted a comparative microbiome study to determine how the composition of gastrointestinal microbiota varies between these species, since this may indicate species differences in diet, physiology, and other internal and external factors. Methods We analysed the faecal microbiome of nine wild hares and twelve wild rabbits from a sympatric periurban reserve in Canberra, Australia, using a 16S rRNA amplicon-based sequencing approach. Additionally, we compared the concordance between results from Illumina and Nanopore sequencing platforms. Results We identified significantly more variation in faecal microbiome composition between individual rabbits compared to hares, despite both species occupying a similar habitat. The faecal microbiome in both species was dominated by the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, typical of many vertebrates. Many phyla, including Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Patescibacteria, were shared between rabbits and hares. In contrast, bacteria from phylum Verrucomicrobia were present only in rabbits, while phyla Lentisphaerae and Synergistetes were represented only in hares. We did not identify phylum Spirochaetes in Australian hares; this phylum was previously shown to be present at high relative abundance in European hare faecal samples. These differences in the composition of faecal microbiota may be indicative of less discriminate foraging behaviour in rabbits, which in turn may enable them to adapt quicker to new environments, and may reflect the severe environmental impacts that this species has in Australia.
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Mutze, Greg, Brian Cooke, and Peter Alexander. "THE INITIAL IMPACT OF RABBIT HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE ON EUROPEAN RABBIT POPULATIONS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA." Journal of Wildlife Diseases 34, no. 2 (April 1998): 221–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-34.2.221.
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Sawyers, Emma, Tarnya E. Cox, Peter J. S. Fleming, Luke K. P. Leung, and Stephen Morris. "Social interactions of juvenile rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and their potential role in lagovirus transmission." PLOS ONE 17, no. 7 (July 28, 2022): e0271272. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0271272.
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Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV), which is a calicivirus, is used as a biocontrol agent to suppress European wild rabbit populations in Australia. The transmission of RHDV can be influenced by social interactions of rabbits; however, there is a paucity of this knowledge about juvenile rabbits and the roles they may play in the transmission of RHDV. We aimed to quantify the social interactions of juvenile (< 900 g) and adult (> 1200 g) rabbits in a locally abundant population in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Twenty-six juvenile and 16 adult rabbits were fitted with VHF proximity loggers to monitor intra- and inter-group pairings. Use of multiple warrens by these rabbits was investigated using VHF base stations at nine warrens and on foot with a hand-held Yagi antenna. Juvenile rabbits were strongly interconnected with both juveniles and adults within and outside their warren of capture, and almost all juveniles were well-connected to other individuals within their own social group. Inter-group pairings were infrequent and fleeting between adults. Both juvenile and adult rabbits used multiple warrens. However, visits to warrens outside their warren of capture, particularly those within 50 m, were more common and longer in duration in juveniles than in adults. The high connectivity of juveniles within and between warrens in close proximity increases potential pathogen exchange between warrens. Therefore, juvenile rabbits could be of greater importance in lagovirus transmission than adult rabbits. The strength of juvenile rabbit inter- and intra-group pairings, and their tendency to use multiple warrens, highlight their potential to act as ‘superspreaders’ of both infection and immunity for lagoviruses and other pathogens with similar lifecycles. Confirmation of this potential is required through examination of disease progress and rabbit age-related immune responses during outbreaks.
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Edwards, G. P., W. Dobbie, and D. McK Berman. "Population trends in European rabbits and other wildlife of central Australia in the wake of rabbit haemorrhagic disease." Wildlife Research 29, no. 6 (2002): 557. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr00097.
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Before the establishment of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) in central Australia in May 1996, a program was instituted to monitor its impacts at six localities broadly distributed across the region. At these sites, population trends in rabbits and other wildlife were studied over a 2.5-year period. Rabbit populations declined by approximately 85% following establishment of RHD at the sites, and had not recovered 22 months later. More varanid lizards were detected on our survey plots 12–22 months after RHD than during the preceding period. Although numbers of dingoes and wedge-tailed eagles varied during the study, significant population reductions were not detected in either species in the wake of RHD. Significant population changes were not detected in red foxes, feral cats, red kangaroos, small mammals, or other raptor species.
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Ballinger, Andrea, and D. G. Morgan. "Validating two methods for monitoring population size of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)." Wildlife Research 29, no. 5 (2002): 431. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr01055.
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Two methods commonly used to monitor population sizes of the wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are spotlight transect counts and active burrow-entrance counts. The accuracy and precision of these techniques were assessed by comparing monitoring data with population estimates derived from intensive observation of a tagged rabbit population near Melbourne, Australia. Both monitoring methods proved capable of yielding population indices linearly related to population density and robust to seasonal changes in population dynamics. The influence of environmental and temporal variables on rabbit emergence, and hence on spotlight transect data, was also investigated. By using data collected over a wide range of weather conditions, 55% of the variation in evening emergence behaviour of rabbits could be predicted by environmental and temporal factors, with solar time, precipitation, air temperature and wind speed accounting for most of this. However, the precision of spotlight transect count data, which are routinely collected at a fixed time of night under mild weather conditions, was not improved by attempting to correct for the effects of weather and time on emergence; continuing to conduct counts under such conditions was supported as a reliable practice.
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Moss, S. R., S. L. Turner, R. C. Trout, P. J. White, P. J. Hudson, A. Desai, M. Armesto, N. L. Forrester, and E. A. Gould. "Molecular epidemiology of Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus." Journal of General Virology 83, no. 10 (October 1, 2002): 2461–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-83-10-2461.
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Millions of domestic and wild European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have died in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand during the past 17 years following infection by Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV). This highly contagious and deadly disease was first identified in China in 1984. Epidemics of RHDV then radiated across Europe until the virus apparently appeared in Britain in 1992. However, this concept of radiation of a new and virulent virus from China is not entirely consistent with serological and molecular evidence. This study shows, using RT–PCR and nucleotide sequencing of RNA obtained from the serum of healthy rabbits stored at 4 °C for nearly 50 years, that, contrary to previous opinions, RHDV circulated as an apparently avirulent virus throughout Britain more than 50 years ago and more than 30 years before the disease itself was identified. Based on molecular phylogenetic analysis of British and European RHDV sequences, it is concluded that RHDV has almost certainly circulated harmlessly in Britain and Europe for centuries rather than decades. Moreover, analysis of partial capsid sequences did not reveal significant differences between RHDV isolates that came from either healthy rabbits or animals that had died with typical haemorrhagic disease. The high stability of RHDV RNA is also demonstrated by showing that it can be amplified and sequenced from rabbit bone marrow samples collected at least 7 weeks after the animal has died.
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Edwards, G. P., W. Dobbie, and D. McK Berman. "Warren ripping: its impacts on European rabbits and other wildlife of central Australia amid the establishment of rabbit haemorrhagic disease." Wildlife Research 29, no. 6 (2002): 567. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr00098.
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The impacts of warren ripping on European rabbits and other wildlife were studied at four sites in central Australia over a 2.5-year period. At each site, treated (ripped) and untreated plots were established. On the treated plots, warrens were ripped over an area of 20–140 km2. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) became established in central Australia during the study. There were fewer rabbits on ripped plots compared with untreated plots both before and after the establishment of RHD. There was also less sign of exotic predators (red foxes and feral cats) on ripped plots. The amount of dingo sign observed and the number of peregrine falcons, brown falcons, kites and goshawks combined and kestrels and hobby falcons combined changed with time but no treatment effect was detected. No consistent treatment effect was detected for red kangaroos, varanid lizards, small mammals or other raptor species.
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Cooke, BD, and MA Skewes. "The Effects of Temperature and Humidity on the Survival and Development of the European Rabbit Flea, Spilopsyllus-Cuniculi (Dale)." Australian Journal of Zoology 36, no. 6 (1988): 649. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo9880649.
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The development of rabbit fleas from eggs to adults is strongly influenced by both temperature and relative humidity. Normal development only occurs if the temperature is between 15 and 30�C and humidity lies between 70 and 95% RH. This is consistent with the ecology of flea larvae which develop in the rabbit's nest where young rabbits generally maintain a warm, humid environment. At 27�C new adult fleas emerge from pupae about 21 days after egg laying. If environmental air becomes too dry, the water content of the air, even in the rabbit nest, may not always be sufficient to maintain a sufficiently moist microclimate in the nest for the flea larvae. Adult fleas do not appear to have high tolerance to heat or desiccation and, in the more arid parts of Australia, if they left the rabbits during the summer the microclimate of burrows is likely to be too harsh for them to persist.
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Cooke, Brian, Randall Jones, and Wendy Gong. "An economic decision model of wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus control to conserve Australian native vegetation." Wildlife Research 37, no. 7 (2010): 558. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr09154.
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Context Economic decision models are seldom used in developing policies for the cost-effective control of invasive species that threaten natural ecosystems. However, their potential value is shown using an example of European rabbits damaging native vegetation in Australia. Aims To better define the problem of rabbit damage, provide a sound theoretical basis for implementing cost-efficient strategies for rabbit control and show how resources available for ecosystem protection can be most effectively applied. Methods A dynamic economic decision model was developed, incorporating the costs and effectiveness of three methods for controlling rabbits among native vegetation to consider alternative management strategies. A monetary value on native vegetation was set using the ‘avoided’ cost of replanting trees on roadsides and from field data we described how capacity of plant communities to regenerate improves if rabbit numbers are reduced. Key results Model outputs indicated the best combinations of methods for cost-effective rabbit control and showed how the highest benefits could be gained in protecting natural vegetation. Conclusions The model provided a framework for deciding how limited resources might be used to greatest benefit for protecting native vegetation. Implications This methodology could apply to other invasive species, provided that natural assets can be given a justifiable monetary value, control costs and effectiveness can be determined and the impact of the pests on assets can be modelled as dynamic population processes.
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Robley, Alan J., Jeff Short, and Stuart Bradley. "Dietary overlap between the burrowing bettong (Bettongia lesueur) and the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in semi-arid coastal Western Australia." Wildlife Research 28, no. 4 (2001): 341. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr00060.
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The diets of burrowing bettongs and European rabbits were studied on Heirisson Prong at Shark Bay, Western Australia, over two winters (1996 and 1997) and two summers (1996/97 and 1997/98). This was during a period when the rabbit population was increasing to high levels and projected foliage cover was decreasing, presenting environmental conditions likely to exacerbate competition. The diets of bettongs and rabbits were significantly different in both winter and summer. The mean overlap in diets shifted from 43% in winter to 56% in summer. Bettongs were able to vary their diet in response to environmental conditions while rabbits perished in large numbers during the second summer. The winter diet of bettongs included hypogeal fungi (19–23%), fruit and forbs; their summer diet included seed, stem, and the foliage of shrubs. Grasses dominated the winter diet of rabbits; forbs, ‘other shrub species’, and browse from shrubs were included also. In summer, rabbits ate mainly roots (30–35%), browse and stems from shrub species. Bettongs ate food items that rabbits did not, and were better able to use common resources. The lack of significant dietary overlap between rabbits and bettongs suggests minimal competition at times of potentially limited food resources. These results suggest that rabbits alone are unlikely to have brought about the mainland extinction of bettongs.
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Newsome, A. E., P. C. Catling, B. D. Cooke, and R. Smyth. "Two ecological universes separated by the Dingo Barrier Fence in semi-arid Australia: interactions between landscapes, herbivory and carnivory, with and without dingoes." Rangeland Journal 23, no. 1 (2001): 71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj01015.
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This paper challenges conclusions of Caughley et al. (1980) that the abundance of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) in western New South Wales is solely due to lack of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo), and vice versa for neighbouring South Australia. A Dingo Barrier Fence divides the two different ecological systems, which have sheep in New South Wales and cattle in South Australia. This paper re-examines in particular whether there is an environmental gradient across the Fence that was dismissed by Caughley et al. This paper concludes to the contrary, that there is a strong environmental gradient. Our aerial surveys demonstrate significantly that habitats favouring red kangaroos are prevalent in New South Wales today, but are very scarce or absent in South Australian landscapes. Aerial surveys were used in both studies, but designs differed. Caughley et al. flew at right angles across the Fence on paths 28 km apart. Flights would have crossed the south-westerly streamlines rarely. Our flight lanes followed streamlines looking for floodouts, the favourite habitat of red kangaroos. Return lanes went between streamlines sampling other habitats. Counts of red kangaroos seen were made every 1.75 km, with the specific habitat also identified. Three extra factors are invoked in our study. One is that the low annual rainfalls translate into intrinsically low survival rates of pouch-young of red kangaroos, contrary to their abundance in New South Wales today. The other two are related to that current abundance also. There is now evidence for greatly increased run-off of rainfall from catchments onto the open plains in New South Wales. Also present is a very large shallow basin lying between catchments and the Dingo Barrier Fence. Streamlines enter it but none flow past its western rim. The above conclusions were confirmed during subsequent ground surveys over three years. Of eleven species of medium and large vertebrates seen in New South Wales, five were absent in South Australia. Three were kangaroos, and the others were feral pigs and goats. Emus are more abundant in New South Wales also. All of those species would be targets for dingoes, especially as alternate prey to rabbits that generate huge eruptions every decade or so. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were in lower abundance in South Australia with dingoes present, as expected with meso-predator interactions. Feral cats (Felis catus) were in similar numbers on both sides of the Fence for unknown reasons. Competition between rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and sheep for food in New South Wales was shown to significantly reduce rabbit numbers in drought. That rabbits are perennially in lower densities there than in South Australia may be due to the higher densities of foxes than in South Australia. Historically, red kangaroos were rare in the region in the mid-1800s. Their abundance has arisen since European occupation. Thc species was rare on those open plains, and permanent water was scarce. Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease reached the study-area in 1995. Its impact reduced rabbit populations to a rarity that prevails today on both sides of the Dingo Fence. Predation from dingoes, foxes and feral cats may assist continuance of low numbers of rabbits. Pastures, seedling trees and livestock will benefit, as will the kangaroos.
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Fitzner, Andrzej, and Wiesław Niedbalski. "Diversity of RHD virus: epidemiological, diagnostic and immunological importance." Medycyna Weterynaryjna 73, no. 12 (2017): 811–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.21521/mw.5815.
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Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) was first recognized in China in 1984. In Europe, the disease appeared in 1986 in Italy, and in the following years RHD was observed in many other European countries, including Poland in 1988. The disease is caused by RHD virus (RHDV), classified as a representative of the Lagovirus genus within the Caliciviridae family. Lagoviruses include the non-pathogenic rabbit calicivirus (RCV) and the European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV). There are three basic variants (subtypes) of pathogenic RHD viruses: classic (RHDV) and antigenic subtypes RHDVa and RHDV2 (RHDVb), distinguished on the basis of epidemiological characteristics, infectious properties and antigenic and genetic modifications. Phylogenetic analysis of RHDV revealed the presence of five genogroups (G1-G5) with similar time of isolation, regardless of the place of occurrence. RHDVa strains are genetically more variable than RHDV, and all RHDVa strains belong to genogroup G6. RHDV2 was diagnosed for the first time in 2010 in domestic and wild rabbits in France, and later in the Iberian Peninsula, and it was called RHDVb. Like the previously identified variants of the RHD virus, RHDV2 spreads to other regions of the world, and in 2011-2016 it was diagnosed in many European countries, North America, Africa and Australia. Strains of RHD2 form a separate, uniform phylogenetic group and are more similar to the non-pathogenic rabbit calicivirus than to pathogenic RHDV and RHDVa. Infections with different variants of RHD viruses are a serious epidemiological, diagnostic and immunological problem. Advanced antigenic changes in RHD viruses limit the usefulness of standard RHD vaccines in controlling the disease....
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BARTRIP, PETER. "The Arrival, Spread and Impact of Myxomatosis in Scotland during the 1950s." Scottish Historical Review 88, no. 1 (April 2009): 134–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/e0036924109000602.
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Myxomatosis is a highly infectious disease of European wild rabbits. Discovered in the 1890s, it was introduced in Australia in 1950–1 and France in 1952 for the purpose of rabbit control. The French outbreak spread across much of Europe, including most of the United Kingdom. The first Scottish outbreak, started intentionally, occurred near Durris in July 1954. By the end of that year myxomatosis was widespread. Rabbits are not native to Scotland but have been present for centuries. Though long valued for their meat and fur, by the twentieth century they were widely considered serious pests. In 1952 scientists began unsuccessful experiments with myxomatosis in the Hebrides. The history of Scotland's first outbreak is curious in several respects. Not only was the country affected earlier than much of England, owing to the extent of deliberate transmission, but also the decimation of rabbits appears to have been viewed with greater equanimity than elsewhere in Britain. Several Scottish institutions advocated deliberate transmission, as did elements of the press in Scotland; again, this contrasted with other parts of the United Kingdom. Scotland was also prominent in establishing the rabbit clearance societies that some hoped would exterminate a pest whose numbers had been slashed by myxomatosis. To the extent that Scotland was enthusiastic or open-minded about myxomatosis, the explanation probably lies in the demanding and marginal nature of much Scottish farming which meant that rabbit depredation hit Scotland particularly hard. Evidence suggests that the decline in the rabbit population provided short and medium term benefits to Scottish agriculture.
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Kerr, Peter J., Matthew B. Rogers, Adam Fitch, Jay V. DePasse, Isabella M. Cattadori, Alan C. Twaddle, Peter J. Hudson, et al. "Genome Scale Evolution of Myxoma Virus Reveals Host-Pathogen Adaptation and Rapid Geographic Spread." Journal of Virology 87, no. 23 (September 25, 2013): 12900–12915. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jvi.02060-13.
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The evolutionary interplay between myxoma virus (MYXV) and the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) following release of the virus in Australia in 1950 as a biological control is a classic example of host-pathogen coevolution. We present a detailed genomic and phylogeographic analysis of 30 strains of MYXV, including the Australian progenitor strain Standard Laboratory Strain (SLS), 24 Australian viruses isolated from 1951 to 1999, and three isolates from the early radiation in Britain from 1954 and 1955. We show that in Australia MYXV has spread rapidly on a spatial scale, with multiple lineages cocirculating within individual localities, and that both highly virulent and attenuated viruses were still present in the field through the 1990s. In addition, the detection of closely related virus lineages at sites 1,000 km apart suggests that MYXV moves freely in geographic space, with mosquitoes, fleas, and rabbit migration all providing means of transport. Strikingly, despite multiple introductions, all modern viruses appear to be ultimately derived from the original introductions of SLS. The rapidity of MYXV evolution was also apparent at the genomic scale, with gene duplications documented in a number of viruses. Duplication of potential virulence genes may be important in increasing the expression of virulence proteins and provides the basis for the evolution of novel functions. Mutations leading to loss of open reading frames were surprisingly frequent and in some cases may explain attenuation, but no common mutations that correlated with virulence or attenuation were identified.
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Hoehn, Marion, Peter J. Kerr, and Tanja Strive. "In situ hybridisation assay for localisation of rabbit calicivirus Australia-1 (RCV-A1) in European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) tissues." Journal of Virological Methods 188, no. 1-2 (March 2013): 148–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jviromet.2012.11.043.
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