Doutoramento em Ciências Veterinárias
The role of wild leporids as reservoirs of infectious agents
Carina Luísa da Costa Carvalho

Orientação:  Elsa Leclerc Duarte & Margarida Duarte & Líbia Zé-Zé

TheEuropean wild rabbit (Oryctolaguscuniculus) and the Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis),are keystones species in various ecosystems of the Iberian Peninsula and on thelocal game-based economy.

Thisthesis aimed to investigate the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2),detected in Portugal in 2012 and currently disseminated in the continent andautonomous regions (Azores, Madeira, Berlengas). Given its alarming impact inthe wild rabbit populations, the Portuguese Government has recently activated aplan aiming the control of the disease (Despatch 4757/2017 of May 31st).

Asecond objective of this thesis was the epidemiological surveillance of Francisella tularensis zoonoticvector-borne pathogenic bacterium, with potencial impact on Human Health. TheIberian hare is considered reservoir and potential sentinel species for thispathogen.

Severalmethodologies were used to carry out the studies presented in this work,including basic pathology, microbiology and molecular methods. Data analysisinvolved the resource to phylogenetic inference, statistical programs andbioformatics (e.g. R software).

Thiswork enabled the development and validation of the first molecular diagnosticmethod for RHDV2,currently figuring in the OIE manual, and allowed insights into to the virusdynamic evolution in different epidemiologic and geographic contexts, wideningthe comprehension of RHDV2 phylogenetic relations among the strains thatcirculate in Portugal from 2012 until 2017.

Thisstudy also made possible to ascertain the tularaemia epidemiologic situation inPortugal, confirming the role of wild leporids as reservoirs for the agent andenabling preliminar conclusions on Public Health risk in the country. Moreover,this work allowed confirming ticks as the main vectors for Francisella tularensis inPortugal.

Globally,this work contributed to the state of the art of both infections and producedrelevantinformationthat can be used to ajust the medical and sanitary prophylactic measures ofboth diseases to the present reality.