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Emergence of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 in China in 2020
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  • Bo Hu,
  • Houjun Wei,
  • Zhiyu Fan,
  • Yanhua Song,
  • Mengmeng Chen,
  • Rulong Qiu,
  • Weifeng Zhu,
  • Weizhong Xu,
  • Jiabin Xue,
  • Fang Wang
Bo Hu
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Houjun Wei
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences
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Zhiyu Fan
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences
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Yanhua Song
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences
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Mengmeng Chen
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences
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Rulong Qiu
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences
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Weifeng Zhu
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences
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Weizhong Xu
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences
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Jiabin Xue
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences
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Fang Wang
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences
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Abstract

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is an acute fatal disease caused by the lagovirus rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), which was first reported in 1984 in China. Strains of two different genotypes (GI.1a and GI.1c) have been detected in China to date. In 2010, a new RHDV variant with a unique genetic and antigenic profile was identified in France, designated RHDV2, which rapidly spread throughout continental Europe and nearby islands. Here, we report the first outbreak of RHD induced by RHDV2 (GI.2) in rabbit farms in the Sichuan province of China. We conducted hemagglutination tests and phylogenetic analysis of the new RHDV isolate SC2020/04, which was identified as a non-hemagglutinating strain belonging to the RHDV2 (GI.2) genogroup. Considering the serious risk of RHDV2 to the Chinese rabbit industry, the circulation of RHDV2 in the population should be carefully monitored in China.