Diagnosis of viral infectious diseases in rabbits (myxomatosis, rabbit hemorrhagic disease)

Myxomatosis and Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) are among the most widespread and dangerous viral infections of rabbits, leading to significant economic losses in livestock farms due to high mortality rates and reduced reproductive efficiency. The high mortality and rapid spread of these diseases necessitate the improvement of diagnostic and preventive measures. In this study, various research methods were employed, including literature search, selection, processing, and analysis, with a focus on diagnostic approaches to myxomatosis and RHD. Relevant publications up to 2025 were collected using keywords related to rabbit viral diseases from databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The review followed PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and included original studies, review articles, and recommendations related to the diagnosis of these diseases. The causative agent of RHD and its variants belong to the genus Lagovirus, family Caliciviridae. The “classical” RHDV (RHDV1) causes an acute form of the disease in adult rabbits, whereas the variant RHDV2 (identified in 2010–2011) exhibits somewhat different antigenic properties, a broader age susceptibility range (including young rabbits), and a potentially higher capacity to circulate in populations previously vaccinated against RHDV1. Diagnosis of these diseases is based on epidemiological data, clinical signs, pathological findings, and laboratory test results. Currently, various laboratory diagnostic methods are used, including: agar gel immunodiffusion; clinical and pathological criteria; serological methods; molecular diagnostics; rapid tests and field kits; immunohistochemistry; and electron microscopy. Modern diagnostics of myxomatosis and RHD is comprehensive and relies on clinical assessment, pathological examination, as well as serological, immunological, and molecular genetic laboratory investigations. Despite significant progress in diagnostics and prevention, the emergence of new viral strains complicates infection control. Promising research directions include the development of rapid diagnostic methods with improved specificity for RHDV2 and the maintenance of updated genomic databases to track virus evolution and its correlation with vaccine efficacy.