As many of you are aware, the RHDV2 virus is now in America. RHDV2 is an extremely serious disease - it has been described as "the ebola of the rabbit world". It is nearly 100% fatal, and spreads rapidly throughout both wild and domestic rabbit populations. You can find out more about it here. There is another good fact sheet here. While for many years this was a disease we didn't have to worry about, we do now. It's here, and it's spreading.
I got a call from our veterinarian today. She's been speaking with rabbit experts at UT Knoxville, as well as doing research about RHDV2. She's asked us to make the Huntsville Friends of Rabbits community aware of some issues with this disease as it affects us in the Southeast right now.
This week there has been a confirmed case in Arkansas of a domestic indoor rabbit with RHDV2. This rabbit was apparently from a breeder in South Carolina, was sold at a rabbit show in Georgia, and died after being brought into Arkansas. We cannot be sure where or how this rabbit contracted the disease.
Unfortunately this is the case with many of the cases of RHDV2 in the US now. Dr. Moore told me that her contacts seem to feel that RHDV2 may be spreading at least in part through hay, but this disease has so many vectors that it's difficult to tell.
As for a vaccine, at the current time we cannot get it in Alabama until there is actually a case here. It's a complicated story, but boils down to the fact that RHDV2 is not considered a domestic disease of rabbits and the vaccine has to be imported from Europe by permission. I talked with our Alabama State Veterinarian today and he promised me he will be speaking with the USDA to see if there's any way of speeding up access to the vaccine. There is apparently an American company working on a vaccine with the USDA, but we don't know how quickly it will be out.
What does this mean for you and your bunnies? The bottom line is that you need to take precautions now, even though there has not been an official case of RHDV2 in Alabama. It''s very possible that it's already here and just hasn't been reported, and it is definitely going to be here soon. It really is only a matter of time. These are some things that our veterinarian feels are necessary until we have a vaccine and this disease is under control:
1. Please do not let your bunny outside. We all like to bring our rabbits out for a jaunt in the sunshine, but this is not a good idea now. Especially if you have wild rabbits in your yard, please don't bring your pet bunny out to play.
2. Check out where your hay is coming from. Especially if you buy your hay online, make sure it isn't from an area where RHDV2 has been prevalent. This map **can give you an idea of where the disease is. Remember, just because you buy hay from a reputable company it doesn't mean the hay isn't from an affected area and hasn't been exposed to wild bunnies with RHDV2. If you can buy local Alabama hay you *might* be better off (but again, we just don't know). Timothy is hard to find here, but Bermuda and orchard grass are available from our local farmers. Just across the state line in lower TN you can sometimes find Timothy. Your bunnies cannot go any length of time without hay, so this is a hard one. Please just use your best judgement.
3. Please consider taking off your shoes when you come into the house. The virus can be transmitted through dirt on your shoes. Here at the main foster house we always remove our shoes and put on slippers. In the past this has been to cut down transmission of coccidia, fleas and worms from the outside, but now it's for RHDV2 as well.
4. Wash your bunny's veggies thoroughly! Again, look at where the veggies you get in the store are from. California and Mexico produce many of our veggies, and they have had multiple cases of RHDV2. Our vet is doing some research on washing solutions for veggies that would kill this virus and I'll let you all know as soon as I hear from her. In the meantime, it can't hurt to wash, wash, wash!
5. Please consider not getting new bunnies, especially from across state lines! It really upsets me to say this as I know there are so many bunnies that need homes, but even a bunny that looks healthy can have RHDV2.
6. If you have a "bunny garden", please be especially careful! This disease can be spread through wild bunny populations, and once it's in the soil it's very difficult to eradicate. Wild bunnies are all over, even in the cities. Please wait to harvest at least until we can figure out veggie washing solutions. You also might want to consider raised beds with rabbit proof fencing and new soil, having a special pair of gardening shoes, and washing up thoroughly as soon as you come inside. Quite honestly, we're really falling in love with our indoor Aerogardens these days!
7. Please report any deceased wild bunnies to Alabama Fish and Wildlife, and ask them to investigate. DO NOT TOUCH THE ANIMAL! You could easily transmit this disease. This fact sheet from Missouri Dept. of Conservation gives a good overview of the issues around RHDV2 and wild bunnies.
Love,
Ruth (aka: Mrs. Brighton's secretary!)
**This map was created and is being kept up to date by a close friend of ours. It is based solely on verified reports from State Veterinarians. Please be aware that each pin may represent more than one bunny and in some cases there are dozens.
1 comment:
I absolutely agree with this Mrs Brighton!
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