Objectives

Wild rabbits are important to Mediterranean ecosystems in many ways: they are the main prey of more than 40 predator species, they contribute to the dispersal of many plant species, they shape the ecosystem with their grazing activities and the galleries they dig are used as shelter by many other species. Yet, their populations are declining due to viral diseases. One of the latest is caused by the hemorrhagic disease virus2, which also affects domestic rabbits.

The virus is very difficult to eradicate due to its resistance in the environment and the fact that, betond direct transmission, it can be transmitted by many insect, and possibly by rodent and bird species. The only way of fighting it is through vaccines, but those avaliable have to be injected. Therefore, these vaccines can only be administered to domestic animals, allowing big reservoirs of the virus in wild populations which can mutate and re-infect vaccinated animals.

The FIGHT 2 project is developing an edible vaccine which can be added to baits or dry feed and easily administered to wild rabbits. The vaccine is based on Virus Like Particles (VLPs) that are recognized and fought by the rabbit inmune system. This VLPs-based technology allows to easily modify the vaccine in case the virus mutates and creates resistance, since only the genes have to be changed.

The possibility for vaccinating wild rabbit populations that the new vaccine offers, will contribute to preserving biodiversity and ecological functions supported by this species. On the other hand, by controlling the disease in wild rabbits, it will also be prevented from infecting their domestic counterparts.