Immunological and genetic studies of RHD (rabbit haemorrhagic disease)

The aim of this paper is to describe the immunological response in rabbits infected with 4 strains of the RHD virus (BS89, Rainham, Asturias, Frankfurt) in respect of indicators of non-specific cellular immunity and their genetic analysis on the basis of the N-terminal fragment of the gene encoding VP60 structural protein. The study was performed on strains of RHD virus that have never been analysed before in the scope of those parameters. The results of the study showed, that 4 analysed strains (BS89, Rainham, Asturias, Frankfurt) form two immunogroups: with high immunogenicity and with low immunogenicity, whereas genetic analysis of those strains also ‘divided’ them into two genetic groups, nevertheless the immunogroups and genogroups were of a different content.