Simultaneous detection of classic and natural recombinant myxoma virus strains in European brown hare population in West Hungary

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Historically, Myxomatosis was a severe disease in the European wild and domesticated rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) with only a few reported cases in hares. Recently, beside the classic myxoma virus strains, new natural recombinant strains have emerged. The latter ones caused several outbreaks, in European countries, in different Lepus species, indicating a species spillover of the virus. In our study, we isolated two distinct myxoma viruses from European brown hares ( Lepus europaeus ) that were found dead close to a hunting area in West Hungary, in October 2025. For the virus isolation RK-13 cell cultures were used and characteristic cytopathogenic effects were observed indicating successful replication. The harvested virus suspensions were tested with real-time PCR then full genome sequencing and were found positive for both the classic (MYXV) and hare-adapted natural recombinant myxoma virus (ha-MYXV), indicating the simultaneous presence of these two type. Our results are in line with recently published data regarding the circulating myxoma virus strains in the Central European region. Based on our finding, Myxomatosis is a significant disease in European brown hare populations in Central Europe. Further monitoring of wild living populations is needed to obtain more epidemiological data on the occurrence of different virus types/subtypes and understanding their specific role in the pathogenesis of this disease.