Hare demography, physiology and European Brown Hare Syndrome virus infection: is there an association?
C. Sokos
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Department of Biomedicine, Institute for Research and Technology of Thessaly, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Larissa, Greece
Research Division, Hunting Federation of Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaloniki, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorA. Touloudi
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorC. Iakovakis
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorK. Papaspyropoulos
Research Division, Hunting Federation of Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaloniki, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorA. Giannakopoulos
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorP. Birtsas
Laboratory of Wildlife, Department of Forestry and Management of Natural Environment, Technological Institute of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorV. Spyrou
Department of Animal Production, Technological Institute of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorE. Theodosiadou
Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorI. Valasi
Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorA. Sfougaris
Laboratory of Ecosystem and Biodiversity Management, Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
C. Billinis
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Department of Biomedicine, Institute for Research and Technology of Thessaly, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Larissa, Greece
Correspondence
Charalambos Billinis, Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Trikalon 224, 43100 Karditsa, Greece. Fax: +30 2310 473863
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorC. Sokos
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Department of Biomedicine, Institute for Research and Technology of Thessaly, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Larissa, Greece
Research Division, Hunting Federation of Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaloniki, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorA. Touloudi
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorC. Iakovakis
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorK. Papaspyropoulos
Research Division, Hunting Federation of Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaloniki, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorA. Giannakopoulos
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorP. Birtsas
Laboratory of Wildlife, Department of Forestry and Management of Natural Environment, Technological Institute of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorV. Spyrou
Department of Animal Production, Technological Institute of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorE. Theodosiadou
Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorI. Valasi
Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorA. Sfougaris
Laboratory of Ecosystem and Biodiversity Management, Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
C. Billinis
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece
Department of Biomedicine, Institute for Research and Technology of Thessaly, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Larissa, Greece
Correspondence
Charalambos Billinis, Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Trikalon 224, 43100 Karditsa, Greece. Fax: +30 2310 473863
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Epidemiological studies of disease ecology typically ignore the influence of host sex, age, nutritional condition and immunocompetence factors. However, this can lead to shortcomings and incorrect conclusions regarding the mechanisms of pathogen transmission and prevalence in wild animals. In many European countries, European Brown Hare Syndrome Virus (EBHSV) causes a disease lethal to brown hares Lepus europaeus. Associations of EBHSV infection, sex, age, body condition and spleen mass were studied in hares collected, from the prefectures of Chalkidiki and Thessaloniki, Hellas, during the hunting season. Data showed a sex-biased prevalence with twice as many males infected with EBHSV than females (P = 0.061), indicating a sexual dimorphism in disease exposure or susceptibility. EBHSV infection was not related to hare body condition (P = 0.853). Adults had significantly greater spleen mass than young hares (P = 0.003), indicating past infections. Significantly greater spleen mass was found in hares positive for EBHSV (P = 0.010) and a negative relation was found between spleen mass and body condition (P = 0.038), indicating energy consumption for immune defense investment. The present study is one of the few that examine the relevance of individual risk factors in understanding patterns of viral infections in natural populations of wild animals.
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