Archives of Virology 83, 99--104 (1985) Archives of Virology © by Springer-Verlag 1985 Isolation and Charaeterization of Cytopathie Strains of Rotavirus from Rabbits Brief Report By G. CASTnUCC~, M. FEBRAICI 2, F. FRIGERI 1, V. CILH1, L. PERUCCz~ a, and G. DONELLI 4 1 Istituto di MMattie Infettive, Profilassi e Polizia Veterinaria dell'Universit~ di Perugia, Perugia Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia, Brescia, Veterinary Practitioner, Perugia 4 Istituto Superiore di SanitY, Rorna, Italy With 2 Figures Accepted June i5, 1984 Summary Three cytopathic rotavirus isolates were recovered from young rabbits affected by an enteric syndrome. The three isolates, when compared by cross serum-neutralization tests, were found to be of the same serotype. Cross neutralization occurred also between a representative of the rabbit isolates and one strain of bovine rotavirus. , The detection of rotavirus particles in rabbit feces by electron microscopy has been reported by several authors (1, 5, 6). Recently two cytopathic rotavirus strains were isolated from diarrhoic rabbits (8). In the present study the isolation and characterization of three rotavirus strains from an outbreak of acute enteritis in rabbits is reported. The outbreak occurred in the Umbria region in a commercial rabbit breeding farm, which contained 240 females and 30 males. An enteric syndrome occurred in rabbits 40--45 days of age. They developed anorexia and a severe watery diarrhea. The feces were yellowish and contained mucous. Usually the affected animals died within 72 hours or sooner from the onset of disease. The outbreak lasted about three months and the mortality reached 80 per cent. At the autopsy the small intestines were 7*