Identification and Characterisation of a Myxoma Virus Detected in the Italian Hare (Lepus corsicanus).

Myxoma virus (MYXV) is a Leporipoxvirus (genus) belonging to the family Poxviridae; it is characterised by a genome of approximately 161 kb dsDNA encoding for several proteins that play an essential role in both host spectrum determination and immunomodulation. The healthy reservoir of the virus is Sylvilagus spp. At the same time, in wild and domestic European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), MYXV is the etiologic agent of myxomatosis, a disease with an extremely high mortality rate. In 2014, an interspecies jump of MYXV was reported in Lepus europaeus in the UK. In 2018, myxomatosis induced by a new recombinant strain called MYXV-To was identified during a large outbreak in Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) in Spain. Here, we describe the case of myxomatosis in another hare species: an adult male Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus) found dead in 2018 in Sicily with lesions suggestive of myxomatosis and treponema infection. Laboratory tests, e.g., end-point PCR and negative staining electron microscopy, confirmed the presence of both pathogens. MYXV was then isolated from tissue samples in permissive cells and sequenced using NGS technology. Main genomic differences concerning known MYXV strains are discussed.

Chromosome-scale genome assembly of Lepus oiostolus (Lepus, Leporidae).

Lepus oiostolus (L. oiostolus) is a species endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. However, the absence of a reference genome limits genetic studies. Here, we reported a high-quality L. oiostolus genome assembly, with scaffolds anchored to 24 chromosomes and a total assembled length of 2.80 Gb (contig N50 = 64.25 Mb). Genomic annotation uncovered 22,295 protein-coding genes and identified 49.84% of the sequences as transposable elements. Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) constitute a high proportion of the genome. Our study is at the first time to report the chromosome-scale genome for the species of the L. oiostolus. It provides a valuable genomic resource for future research on the evolution of the Leporidae.

Serologic Survey of Selected Arthropod-Borne Pathogens in Free-Ranging Snowshoe Hares (Lepus americanus) Captured in Northern Michigan, USA.

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan, USA, occupy the southern periphery of the species' range and are vulnerable to climate change. In the eastern UP, hares are isolated by the Great Lakes, potentially exacerbating exposure to climate-change-induced habitat alterations. Climate change is also measurably affecting distribution and prevalence of vector-borne pathogens in North America, and increases in disease occurrence and prevalence can be one signal of climate-stressed wildlife populations. We conducted a serosurvey for vector-borne pathogens in snowshoe hares that were captured in the Hiawatha National Forest in the eastern UP of Michigan, USA, 2016-2017. The most commonly detected antibody response was to the mosquito-borne California serogroup snowshoe hare virus (SSHV). Overall, 24 (51%) hares screened positive for SSHV antibodies and of these, 23 (96%) were confirmed positive by plaque reduction neutralization test. We found a positive association between seroprevalence of SSHV and live weight of snowshoe hares. Additionally, we detected a significant effect of ecological land type group on seroprevalence of SSHV, with strong positive support for a group representing areas that tend to support high numbers of hares (i.e., acidic mineral containing soils with cedar, mixed swamp conifers, tamarack and balsam fir as common overstory vegetation). We also detected and confirmed antibodies for Jamestown Canyon virus and Silverwater virus in a single hare each. We did not detect antibodies to other zoonotic vector-borne pathogens, including Lacrosse encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, Borrelia burgdorferi, Powassan virus, and Francisella tularensis. These results provide a baseline for future serological studies of vector-transmitted diseases that may increase climate vulnerability of snowshoe hares in the UP of Michigan, as well as pose a climate-related zoonotic risk.

A new HaCV-EBHSV recombinant lagovirus circulating in European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) from Catalonia, Spain.

In 2020/2021, several European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV) outbreaks were recorded in European hares (Lepus europaeus) from Catalonia, Spain. Recombination analysis combined with phylogenetic reconstruction and estimation of genetic distances of the complete coding sequences revealed that 5 strains were recombinants. The recombination breakpoint is located within the non-structural protein 2C-like RNA helicase (nucleotide position ~ 1889). For the genomic fragment upstream of the breakpoint, a non-pathogenic EBHSV-related strain (hare calicivirus, HaCV; GII.2) was the most closely related sequence; for the rest of the genome, the most similar strains were the European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV) strains recovered from the same 2020/2021 outbreaks, suggesting a recent origin. While the functional impact of the atypical recombination breakpoint remains undetermined, the novel recombinant strain was detected in different European brown hare populations from Catalonia, located 20-100 km apart, and seems to have caused a fatal disease both in juvenile and adult animals, confirming its viability and ability to spread and establish infection. This is the first report of a recombination event involving HaCV and EBHSV and, despite the recombination with a non-pathogenic strain, it appears to be associated with mortality in European brown hares, which warrants close monitoring.

Use of hare bone for the manufacture of a Clovis bead.

A tubular bone bead dating to ~ 12,940 BP was recovered from a hearth-centered activity area at the La Prele Mammoth site in Converse County, Wyoming, USA. This is the oldest known bead from the Western Hemisphere. To determine the taxonomic origin of the bead, we extracted collagen for zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS). We also used micro-CT scanning for morphological analysis to determine likely skeletal elements used for its production. We conclude that the bead was made from a metapodial or proximal phalanx of a hare (Lepus sp.). This find represents the first secure evidence for the use of hares during the Clovis period. While the use of hare bone for the manufacture of beads was a common practice in western North America during the Holocene, its origins can now be traced back to at least the terminal Pleistocene.

Recombination between non-structural and structural genes as a mechanism of selection in lagoviruses: The evolutionary dead-end of an RHDV2 isolated from European hare.

The genus Lagovirus, belonging to the family Caliciviridae, emerged around the 1980s. It includes highly pathogenic species, rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV/GI.1) and European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV/GII.1), which cause fatal hepatitis, and nonpathogenic viruses with enteric tropism, rabbit calicivirus (RCV/GI.3,4) and hare calicivirus (HaCV/GII.2). Lagoviruses have evolved along two independent genetic lineages: GI (RHDV and RCV) in rabbits and GII (EBHSV and HaCV) in hares. To be emphasized is that genomes of lagoviruses, like other caliciviruses, are highly conserved at RdRp-VP60 junctions, favoring intergenotypic recombination events at this point. The recombination between an RCV (genotype GI.3), donor of non-structural (NS) genes, and an unknown virus, donor of structural (S) genes, likely led to the emergence of a new lagovirus in the European rabbit, called RHDV type 2 (GI.2), identified in Europe in 2010. New RHDV2 intergenotypic recombinants isolated in rabbits in Europe and Australia originated from similar events between RHDV2 (GI.2) and RHDV (GI.1) or RCV (GI.3,4). RHDV2 (GI.2) rapidly spread worldwide, replacing RHDV and showing several lagomorph species as secondary hosts. The recombination events in RHDV2 viruses have led to a number of viruses with very different combinations of NS and S genes. Recombinant RHDV2 with NS genes from hare lineage (GII) was recently identified in the European hare. This study investigated the first RHDV2 (GI.2) identified in Italy in European hare (RHDV2_Bg12), demonstrating that it was a new virus that originated from the recombination between RHDV2, as an S-gene donor and a hare lagovirus, not yet identified but presumably nonpathogenic, as an NS gene donor. When rabbits were inoculated with RHDV2_Bg12, neither deaths nor seroconversions were recorded, demonstrating that RHDV2_Bg12 cannot infect the rabbit. Furthermore, despite intensive and continuous field surveillance, RHDV2_Bg12 has never again been identified in either hares or rabbits in Italy or elsewhere. This result showed that the host specificity of lagoviruses can depend not only on S genes, as expected until today, but potentially also on some species-specific NS gene sequences. Therefore, because RHDV2 (GI.2) infects several lagomorphs, which in turn probably harbor several specific nonpathogenic lagoviruses, the possibility of new speciation, especially in those other than rabbits, is real. RHDV2 Bg_12 demonstrated this, although the attempt apparently failed.

HAT: de novo variant calling for highly accurate short-read and long-read sequencing data.

MOTIVATION: de novo variants (DNVs) are variants that are present in offspring but not in their parents. DNVs are both important for examining mutation rates as well as in the identification of disease-related variation. While efforts have been made to call DNVs, calling of DNVs is still challenging from parent-child sequenced trio data. We developed Hare And Tortoise (HAT) as an automated DNV detection workflow for highly accurate short-read and long-read sequencing data. Reliable detection of DNVs is important for human genomics and HAT addresses this need. RESULTS: HAT is a computational workflow that begins with aligned read data (i.e. CRAM or BAM) from a parent-child sequenced trio and outputs DNVs. HAT detects high-quality DNVs from Illumina short-read whole-exome sequencing, Illumina short-read whole-genome sequencing, and highly accurate PacBio HiFi long-read whole-genome sequencing data. The quality of these DNVs is high based on a series of quality metrics including number of DNVs per individual, percent of DNVs at CpG sites, and percent of DNVs phased to the paternal chromosome of origin. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: https://github.com/TNTurnerLab/HAT.

Potentially toxic metals in seawater, sediment and seaweeds: bioaccumulation, ecological and human health risk assessment.

This study assesses the bioaccumulation, ecological, and health risks associated with potentially toxic metals (PTMs), including Pb, Hg, Cd, As, and Cr in Hare Island, Thoothukudi. The results revealed that the concentration of PTMs in sediment, seawater, and S. wightii ranged from 0.095 to 2.81 mg kg-1, 0.017 to 1.515 mg L-1, and 0.076 to 5.713 mg kg-1, respectively. The highest concentrations of PTMs were found in the S. wightii compared to seawater and sediment. The high bioaccumulation of Hg and As in S. wightii suggests that it can be used as a bioindicator for these elements in this region. The ecological risk indices, which include individual, complex, biological, and ecological pollution indices, suggest that Hare Island had moderate contamination with Hg and Cd. However, there are no human health risks associated with PTMs. This study examines the current ecological and health risks associated with PTMs and emphasizes the importance of regular monitoring.

Occurrence of Anaplasma spp. in wild lagomorphs from Southern Spain: Molecular detection of new Anaplasma bovis lineages.

Wild lagomorphs can act as reservoirs of several pathogens of public and animal health concern. However, the number of studies assessing the presence of Anaplasma spp. in these species is scarce. The aim of the present study was to molecularly identify Anaplasma spp. in wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) from Southern Spain and assess their epidemiological role in the maintenance of the bacterium. During 2017-2021, spleen samples of 394 wild rabbits and 145 Iberian hares were collected. Anaplasma DNA was detected using different PCR assays (16S rRNA and groEL) and phylogenetic analyses were carried out by Bayesian approach. The possible influence of lagomorph species, age and sex on the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. was evaluated by a multiple logistic regression model. The 9.4% of the rabbits were positive to Anaplasma bovis, but all the hares were negative. No significant differences were found in Anaplasma spp. prevalence regarding to age or sex. This is the first report of A. bovis in lagomorphs from Europe. The phylogenetic analysis of A. bovis confirms the existence of different clusters suggesting the existence of several lineages. In addition, a high divergence of nucleotide identity was observed within the lineage 4, which could result in the under-detection of some strains when using A. bovis-specific PCR, hindering its detection and characterization. Since this analysis is based on a limited number of nucleotide bases and sequences, more studies are needed for further characterize A. bovis, as well as its relationship with other Anaplasma spp.

Identification of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria from blood and ticks obtained from hares and long-eared hedgehogs (Hemiechinus megalofis) in eastern Iran.

The role of wildlife in the complex balance of tick-borne diseases within ecosystems is crucial, as they serve as hosts for tick carriers and reservoirs for the pathogens carried by these ticks. This study aimed to investigate the presence of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria in wildlife, specifically in hares and long-eared hedgehogs (Hemiechinus megalofis), in the eastern region of Iran. The focus was on the detection of Borrelia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasma spp., Francisella spp., and Leptospira spp., using the Nested-PCR method. We analyzed a total of 124 blood samples, and 196 ticks collected from hares and long-eared hedgehogs were analyzed. The Nested-PCR method was employed to identify the presence of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria DNA. Our study revealed the presence of these zoonotic pathogenic bacteria in both wildlife species, indicating their potential role as hosts and reservoirs for the ticks carrying these pathogens. The specific presence and prevalence of Borrelia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasma spp., Francisella spp., and Leptospira spp. were determined through the Nested-PCR method. This study contributes to the limited knowledge about the involvement of wild animals in the transmission of tick-borne diseases. By using the Nested-PCR method, we successfully identified the presence of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria in hares and long-eared hedgehogs. This study emphasizes the need for further research to better understand the ecological process of tick-borne diseases, particularly the role of wildlife in their spread. Such knowledge is crucial for wildlife conservation efforts and the management of tick-borne diseases, ultimately benefiting both animal and human health.

Typing of Leishmania isolates from vectors and leporids of the Madrid (Spain) outbreak.

In 2009, a large outbreak of leishmaniasis, associated with environmental changes, was declared near Madrid (Spain), in which Phlebotomus perniciosus was the vector, whereas the main reservoirs were hares and rabbits. Analysis of isolates from humans, vectors and leporids from the focus identified the Leishmania infantum ITS-Lombardi genotype. However, multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE), the reference technique for Leishmania typing, and sequencing of the hsp70 gene, a commonly used marker, were not performed. In the present study, 19 isolates from P. perniciosus (n = 11), hares (n = 5) and rabbits (n = 3) from the outbreak area, all characterized as ITS-Lombardi in previous studies, were analysed by MLEE and hsp70 sequencing. The hsp70 results confirmed that all the analysed strains are L. infantum. However, by MLEE, 4 different zymodemes of L. infantum were identified based on variable mobilities of the NP1 enzyme: MON-34 (NP1100, n = 11), MON-80 (NP1130, n = 6), MON-24 (NP1140, n = 1) and MON-331 (NP1150, n = 1). The relative frequency of these zymodemes does not correspond to their usual occurrence in Spain. Moreover, MON-34 and MON-80 were found in P. perniciosus, hares and rabbits for the first time. These findings continue to provide insights into the outbreak and call for further studies with a higher number of strains.

Gut diazotrophs in lagomorphs are associated with season but not altitude and host phylogeny.

Invertebrates such as termites feeding on nutrient-poor substrate receive essential nitrogen by biological nitrogen fixation of gut diazotrophs. However, the diversity and composition of gut diazotrophs of vertebrates such as Plateau pikas living in nutrient-poor Qinghai-Tibet Plateau remain unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, we studied gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) and its related species, Daurian pikas (Ochotona daurica), Hares (Lepus europaeus) and Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) by high-throughput amplicon sequencing methods. We analyzed whether the gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas are affected by season, altitude, and species, and explored the relationship between gut diazotrophs and whole gut microbiomes. Our study showed that Firmicutes, Spirochaetes, and Euryarchaeota were the dominant gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas. The beta diversity of gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas was significantly different from the other three lagomorphs, but the alpha diversity did not show a significant difference among the four lagomorphs. The gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas were the most similarly to that of Rabbits, followed by Daurian pikas and Hares, which was inconsistent with gut microbiomes or animal phylogeny. The dominant gut diazotrophs of the four lagomorphs may reflect their living environment and dietary habits. Season significantly affected the alpha diversity and abundance of dominant gut diazotrophs. Altitude had no significant effect on the gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas. In addition, the congruence between gut microbiomes and gut diazotrophs was low. Our results proved that the gut of Plateau pikas was rich in gut diazotrophs, which is of great significance for the study of ecology and evolution of lagomorphs.

Estrogen regulated transcription of the non-estrogen-regulated hamster uteroglobin gene in MCF-7 cells.

To study the estrogen regulated transcription of the uteroglobin (UG) gene, the founding member of the secretoglobin family widely expressed in many different mammalian species, we re-created functional estrogen response elements (EREs) in the UG gene promoter from a species where UG expression is not regulated by estrogens: the hamster Mesocricetus auratus (Ma), to ascertain if the lack of functional EREs is the real cause of its estrogen insensitivity. Functional EREs in the hamster promoter, including the consensus ERE (cERE), failed to respond to an appropriate estrogen stimulus compared with its estrogen regulated ortholog from the brown hare Lepus capensis (Lc). As the nucleotide sequence is the only difference between genetic constructs from these two species, we suspected that the UG promoter from the hamster probably contains cis-acting genetic elements that negatively impairs the estrogen-regulated transcription mediated by the functional ERE. Accordingly, we prepared chimeric DNA constructs which eventually allowed to identify a region located 29 base pairs (bp) downstream of the ERE as responsible for the lack of estrogen-responsiveness of the Ma-UG gene in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. This region contains the sequence ACACCCC which has been identified as the core sequence of the Sp/ Krüppel-like factor (KLF) family of transcription factors. This finding is relevant, not only due to the observation on a novel mechanism that control estrogen-induced transcription, but also because it may encourage further investigation for better defining specific genes with an ERE that do not respond to estrogen signaling in MCF-7 cells, a cell line widely employed as an in vitro model in breast cancer research.

Structural basis of increased binding affinities of spikes from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants to rabbit and hare ACE2s reveals the expanding host tendency.

The potential host range of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been expanding alongside its evolution during the pandemic, with rabbits and hares being considered important potential hosts, supported by a report of rabbit sero-prevalence in nature. We measured the binding affinities of rabbit and hare angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) with receptor-binding domains (RBDs) from SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and its variants and found that rabbit and hare ACE2s had broad variant tropism, with significantly enhanced affinities to Omicron BA.4/5 and its subsequent-emerged sub-variants (>10 fold). The structures of rabbit ACE2 complexed with either SARS-CoV-2 prototype (PT) or Omicron BA.4/5 spike (S) proteins were determined, thereby unveiling the importance of rabbit ACE2 Q34 in RBD-interaction and elucidating the molecular basis of the enhanced binding with Omicron BA.4/5 RBD. These results address the highly enhanced risk of rabbits infecting SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-variants and the importance of constant surveillance.IMPORTANCEThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has swept the globe and caused immense health and economic damage. SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated a broad host range, indicating a high risk of interspecies transmission and adaptive mutation. Therefore, constant monitoring for potential hosts is of immense importance. In this study, we found that Omicron BA.4/5 and subsequent-emerged sub-variants exhibited enhanced binding to both rabbit and hare angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and we elucidated the structural mechanism of their recognition. From the structure, we found that Q34, a unique residue of rabbit ACE2 compared to other ACE2 orthologs, plays an important role in ACE2 recognition. These results address the probability of rabbits/hares being potential hosts of SARS-CoV-2 and broaden our knowledge regarding the molecular mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 interspecies transmission.

Patterns of evolution in MHC class II DQA and DQB exon 2 genes of Alpine mountain hares, Lepus timidus varronis, and sympatric and parapatric brown hares, L. europaeus, from Switzerland.

In natural populations, hybridization is known to occur between a wide range of species. However, its evolutionary significance is less clear. Genes involved in fighting pathogens are considered excellent candidates for studying adaptive introgression, although both introgression and balancing selection can generate similar patterns of diversity and differentiation. Here, we compared DQA and DQB MHC class II and microsatellite allelic diversity of sympatric and parapatric mountain (Lepus timidus) and brown hare (L. europaeus) populations from Switzerland. We detected higher genetic diversity in brown hares compared to mountain hares at both MHC and microsatellite loci. We consider the observed patterns of microsatellite diversity both for L. europaeus and L. timidus as result of stochastic demographic processes while the pattern of MHC polymorphism of the studied hare populations can be explained by pathogen-driven selection. Rare bidirectional gene flow between both hare species seems to occur specifically for MHC alleles. However, the high number of shared alleles showing similar high frequency in both species suggests that reciprocally exchanged MHC alleles are being maintained via balancing selection. Adaptation to similar pathogen communities can also lead to parallel selection of MHC alleles. Positive selection, recombination and mutations have played different roles in shaping the patterns of MHC allelic diversity in and differentiation between both species. Results for the latter evolutionary forces do not show a better matching between the sympatric populations compared to the parapatric ones, suggesting a minor role of introgression for the observed evolutionary patterns of the studied hare species.

HARE: Unifying the Human Activity Recognition Engineering Workflow.

Sensor-based human activity recognition is becoming ever more prevalent. The increasing importance of distinguishing human movements, particularly in healthcare, coincides with the advent of increasingly compact sensors. A complex sequence of individual steps currently characterizes the activity recognition pipeline. It involves separate data collection, preparation, and processing steps, resulting in a heterogeneous and fragmented process. To address these challenges, we present a comprehensive framework, HARE, which seamlessly integrates all necessary steps. HARE offers synchronized data collection and labeling, integrated pose estimation for data anonymization, a multimodal classification approach, and a novel method for determining optimal sensor placement to enhance classification results. Additionally, our framework incorporates real-time activity recognition with on-device model adaptation capabilities. To validate the effectiveness of our framework, we conducted extensive evaluations using diverse datasets, including our own collected dataset focusing on nursing activities. Our results show that HARE's multimodal and on-device trained model outperforms conventional single-modal and offline variants. Furthermore, our vision-based approach for optimal sensor placement yields comparable results to the trained model. Our work advances the field of sensor-based human activity recognition by introducing a comprehensive framework that streamlines data collection and classification while offering a novel method for determining optimal sensor placement.

The surveillance of plague among rodents and dogs in Western Iran.

BACKGROUND: The causative agent of plague, Yersinia pestis, is maintained in nature via a flea-rodent cycle. Western Iran is an old focus for plague, and recent data indicate that rodents and dogs in this region have serological evidence of Y. pestis infection. The purpose of this study was to conduct a large-scale investigation of Y. pestis infection in shepherd dogs, rodents, and their fleas in old foci for plague in Western Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in Hamadan province from 2014 to 2020. Rodents and fleas were collected from various locations throughout this region. Y. pestis was investigated in rodent spleen samples and fleas using culture, serology, and real-time PCR methods. Additionally, sera samples were collected from carnivores and hares in this region, and the IgG antibody against the Y. pestis F1 antigen was assessed using an ELISA. RESULTS: In this study, 927 rodents were captured, with Meriones spp. (91.8%) and Microtus qazvinensis (2.6%) being the most prevalent. A total of 6051 fleas were collected from rodents and carnivores, most of which were isolated from Meriones persicus. None of the rodents or fleas examined tested positive for Y. pestis using real-time PCR and culture methods. Meanwhile, IgG antibodies were detected in 0.32% of rodents. All serologically positive rodents belonged to M. persicus. Furthermore, none of the sera from the 138 carnivores (129 sheepdogs, five Vulpes vulpes, four Canis aureus), and nine hares tested positive in the ELISA test. CONCLUSION: This primary survey of rodent reservoirs shows serological evidence of Y. pestis infection. Western Iran is an endemic plague focus, and as such, it requires ongoing surveillance.

Influence of age, habitat elevation, and distance to a thermal power plant on pathomorphological findings in the European brown hare (Lepuseuropaeus P.).

The lifespan of the European hare (Lepus europaeus P.) is affected by a number of negative factors, including pollutants. In this paper, the individual and joint influence of age and habitat (elevation and distance from the thermal power plant - TPP) on pathomorphological findings of hares shot during three hunting seasons was investigated. Pathomorphological changes were found in 95.12% of hares. In hares up to 1 year of age, the changes were predominant in the lungs, and in older hares, in the kidneys. Degenerative changes in kidneys and liver and inflammatory changes in kidneys and lungs were considered important most in discussing the influence of chemical pollution. The proximity of TPP influenced the type of changes in the liver. A significant joint effect of age and elevation on the type of changes in the lungs of adult hares and on the heart of young hares was found. Elevation and distance from TPP had a joint effect on the occurrence of changes in the lungs, intestines, and heart in hares from the field farther from TPP. The results indicate that the hares were highly exposed to chemical pollutants that may affect their immunity, and lifespan.

Snowshoe hare virus: discovery, distribution, vector and host associations, and medical significance.

Snowshoe hare virus (SSHV), within the California serogroup of the genus Orthobunyavirus, family Peribunyaviridae, was first isolated from a snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) in Montana, United States, in 1959. The virus, closely related to LaCrosse virus (LACV) and Chatanga virus (CHATV), occurs across Canada and the northern latitudes of the United States, primarily in the northern tier of states bordering Canada. Reports of SSHV in northern Europe and Asia are probably the closely related to CHATV, or the less closely related Tahyna virus. Vertebrate associations include snowshoe hares and ground squirrels, demonstrated by field isolation of virus from wild-caught animals, seroconversion of snowshoe hares, seroconversion of sentinel rabbits, isolation of virus from sentinel rabbits, and experimental infections demonstrating viremia. Isolations of virus from field populations of mosquitoes include primarily univoltine and boreal mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, Culiseta impatiens and Culiseta inornata; and, rarely, certain multivoltine floodwater Aedes species. Experimental transmission studies in mosquitoes show infection in and transmission by boreal Aedes and Culiseta inornata. Isolation of SSHV from larval Aedes on three occasions, and experimentation in Culiseta inornata, reveal transovarial transmission of the virus in mosquitoes. Serosurveys reveal exposure to SSHV in human and domestic animals, with rates of seropositivity commonly high in some settings in Alaska and Canada, but disease in humans or horses has rarely been reported, only in Canada.

SEASONAL AND HOST-ASSOCIATED VARIATION IN BOT FLY (OESTRIDAE: CUTEREBRINAE) PARASITISM OF LAGOMORPHS ACROSS AN ARID-LAND ECOSYSTEM IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO.

Bot flies (Oestridae: Cuterebrinae) are obligate mammalian parasites that complete the larval stage of their life cycle under the skin of their host. Most detailed studies of bot fly larval disease ecology have been conducted in temperate deciduous zone rodent systems. To understand the relative importance of seasonal and spatial factors, as well as factors intrinsic to the host, in underpinning the likelihood and extent of parasitism by bot flies in non-rodent hosts as well as in arid-land ecosystems, we examined the dynamic for black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) and desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) parasitism by bot fly larvae (Cuterebra spp.) across 7 repeatedly sampled sites spread across approximately 500 km of the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion of southern New Mexico. This environment is characterized by a climate that includes hot dry summers and cool to cold dry winters, as well as strongly seasonal summer monsoonal rains. Lagomorphs are a common mid-sized mammal in these landscapes. Bot fly parasitism was strongly seasonal, with peak prevalence and abundance in the spring, and there was spatial variation in the extent of parasitism between collection sites. Additionally, jackrabbits in better body condition were less likely to be parasitized (as indicated by kidney fat index). We did not find sex-based differences in bot fly parasitism between male and female jackrabbits. Thus, in arid-land ecoregions, abiotic factors are likely the primary driver of the bot fly-host interaction, whereas factors intrinsic to the host were of secondary importance for characterizing the interactions of bot flies and lagomorphs.