Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2

BY DR. LABRECQUE

There’s an emerging infectious disease in rabbits working its way across the country — Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2). This virus affects both wild and domestic rabbits and has been found to be present in several western states, including California, as of early 2020. The disease is highly contagious and causes necrotizing hepatitis, internal bleeding and death. RHDV2 is not transmissible to other animals or humans. There is currently no vaccine for RHDV2 available in the U.S., but vaccines are available in Europe and Canada and can be purchased with a special waiver. HSSC has teamed up with the House Rabbit Society to purchase vaccines in bulk in order to vaccinate rabbits who come into our care. We have also put new protocols in place to further protect our shelter bunnies. A quarantine period of 18 days is now required for any stray or unvaccinated rabbit we take in, and full PPE is required for staff and volunteers who care for rabbits in quarantine. Because of the potential spread from wild rabbits, HSSC now recommends that pet rabbits be kept strictly indoors. The virus is very hardy and can live for months in the environment. It’s shed in the urine and feces of infected rabbits and can be spread by fleas, flies, and mosquitoes, as well as birds, rodents, and other animals that come in contact with an infected rabbit. Lori Bazan, a longtime HSSC rabbit volunteer and foster, implements extra safety measures in her home bunny care routine — including mitigating contamination risk by feeding her rabbits clean, non-foraged

Shelter bunnies are relying on us to keep them safe!

greens and asking family and guests to remove outdoor shoes before entering the house.

For more information on RHDV2, please visit: rabbit.org/rhdv