Monitoring of Hepatitis E Virus in Wild Lagomorphs in Spanish Mediterranean Ecosystems
Table 1
Distribution of the seroprevalence against HEV in wild lagomorphs in Andalusia (southern Spain) by animal and hunting estate categories and results of the bivariate analysis.
Variables
Categories
Seroprevalence (%)
Species
Wild rabbit
25/370
6.8
0.620
Iberian hare
4/60
6.7
Age
Adult
15/265
5.7
0.228
Subadult
7/117
6.0
Young
5/39
12.8
Sex
Male
14/213
6.6
0.536
Female
13/206
6.3
Kidney fat index
0
2/56
3.6
0.371
1
9/122
7.4
2
7/98
7.1
3
8/67
11.9
Bodyweight (kg)
0.1–0.9
12/121
9.9
0.274
1.0–1.1
7/141
5.0
1.2–3.1
6/97
6.2
Body length (cm)
28–37
12/142
8.5
0.836
38–40
8/121
6.6
41–56
6/86
7.0
Geographical area
Western
3/89
3.4
0.002
Central
3/136
2.2
Eastern
23/205
11.2
Hunting season
2017/2018
0/1
0.0
0.925
2018/2019
1/10
10.0
2019/2020
2/24
8.3
2020/2021
25/365
6.8
2021/2022
1/30
3.3
Burrow density
High
22/348
6.3
0.615
Medium
0/12
0.0
Low
3/38
7.9
Presence of ticks
Yes
20/293
6.8
0.313
No
5/105
4.8
Presence of fleas
Yes
21/274
7.7
0.066
No
4/124
3.2
Last restocking (months)
No
12/244
4.9
0.277
≤6
2/39
5.1
6–12
5/65
7.7
≥12
6/50
12.0
Origin of the restocking
Same game estate
11/114
9.6
0.425
Another game estate
2/32
6.3
Cases of myxomatosis in the last year
Yes
24/356
6.7
0.233
No
1/42
2.4
Cases of RHD in the last year
Yes
19/304
6.3
0.563
No
6/94
6.4
Fenced hunting estate
Yes
0/26
0.0
0.175
No
25/372
6.7
Distance to urban areas (Km)
<10
25/352
7.1
0.105
10–20
0/32
0.0
Presence of wild boar (Sus scrofa)
Yes
17/143
10.6
0.261
No
6/78
7.1
Presence of red deer (Cervus elaphus)
Yes
0/35
0.0
0.071
No
29/351
7.6
Presence of wildcat (Felis silvestris)
Yes
14/135
10.4
0.016
No
11/263
4.2
Presence of Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus)
Yes
3/24
12.5
0.184
No
22/374
5.9
Presence of badger (Meles meles)
Yes
22/348
6.3
0.614
No
3/50
6.0
Presence of marten (Martes foina)
Yes
19/256
7.4
0.148
No
6/142
4.2
Presence of weasel (Mustela nivalis)
Yes
19/301
6.3
0.591
No
6/97
6.2
Presence of polecat (Mustela putorius)
Yes
11/198
5.6
0.350
No
14/200
7.0
Presence of domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus)
Yes
24/368
6.5
0.420
No
1/30
3.3
Presence of dog (Canis familiaris)
Yes
22/308
7.1
0.142
No
3/90
3.3
Presence of cattle (Bos taurus)
Yes
0/33
0.0
0.097
No
24/335
7.2
Presence of goat (Capra aegagrus hircus)
Yes
15/152
9.9
0.025
No
9/216
4.2
Presence of sheep (Ovis aries)
Yes
13/199
6.5
0.582
No
11/169
6.5
Presence of farmed rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Yes
2/14
14.3
0.217
No
23/384
6.0
Presence of domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus)
Yes
0/26
0.0
0.162
No
24/343
7.0
Presence of rabbit feeders
Yes
14/214
6.5
0.492
No
11/184
6.0
Feed supplementation in rabbits
Yes
5/144
3.5
0.060
No
20/254
7.9
Presence of swamps
Yes
7/49
14.3
0.023
No
18/349
5.2
Presence of waterholes
Yes
14/174
8.0
0.142
No
11/224
4.9
Presence of sources
Yes
10/340
7.5
0.313
No
15/264
5.7
Presence of troughs
Yes
18/323
5.6
0.093
No
7/63
11.1
Presence of streams
Yes
13/187
7.0
0.377
No
12/211
5.7
The hunting estate is weeded
Yes
8/71
11.3
0.057
No
17/327
5.2
Cleaning watering places
Yes
9/126
7.1
0.389
No
16/272
5.9
Presence of artificial burrows
Yes
3/33
9.1
0.344
No
22/365
6.0
Crops intended for hunting
Yes
11/161
6.8
0.431
No
14/237
5.9
(animal hunted/km2)
High (51–100)
5/25
20.0
0.037
Medium (26–50)
5/36
13.9
Low (11–25)
2/38
5.3
Very low (0–10)
4/94
4.3
Missing values omitted. Calculated from the average number of animals hunted in the last 10 years in the sampled hunting estate.
