Experts are concerned about the wild rabbit population in Oregon after detecting multiple cases of a deadly virus with the latest case was in La Pine, nearly 200 miles away in Milwaukee where eight domestic ad feral rabbits were found dead.
The deadly virus has been spreading in many parts of the state in the last few months. Oregon's state veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz said that the virus has mainly affected the feral rabbit population.
Rabbit Virus 2021: An Outbreak in Oregon
The Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory of the US Department of Agriculture confirmed last week that the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) was detected in a wild rabbit in Oregon, News Channel 21 reported.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said that it was found in a wild black-tailed jackrabbit in Lake Couty on May 20. This marks the first time that RHDV2 was confirmed in a wild rabbit in Oregon as it was only detected in domestic rabbits at first on March 14 this year.
It was only recently that dead rabbits and hares in the state were sampled for the presence of the virus after seeing symptoms of the deadly virus on some wild rabbits. The jackrabbit they tested was only one of those served dead in the area.
Oregon Live reported that the USDA officials warn people who own domestic rabbits to always keep their pets inside and do not allow them to roam the years. They also warn against transporting the animals and quarantine new rabbits within 30 days.
Moreover, USDA said that hunters should avoid areas where the deadly rabbit virus was detected. They remind hunters to always wash their hands and change their clothes after being in contact with wild rabbits. In case they notice some sick or dead rabbits, they should report it immediately to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
What is Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2)?
According to House Rabbit Society, a non-profit rabbit rescue and education organization, the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV2) is a highly contagious disease caused by a calicivirus that affects rabbits, both wild and domesticated European rabbits.
In the past, the virus was not detected in North American Native rabbits or hares. However, during the 2020-2021 US, Mexico, and Canada outbreak, RHDV2 was also causing deaths in wildlife species.
Going back to history, this deadly rabbit virus was first detected in 1984 in China, but it was believed that it originated in Europe. Today there are over 40 countries with confirmed RHDV cases, including countries in Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, Asia, North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
RHDV2 was first detected in 2015 in Australia where the spread of the disease was seen coast-to-coast in the rabbit population within 18 months and had become the dominant strain, replacing RHDV1, according to a paper in the Journal of Virology.
Symptoms of RHDV2
Symptoms of RHDV2-infected rabbits include loss of appetite, lethargy, high fever, seizures, jaundice, bleeding from the nose, mouth, or rectum, difficulty breathing, and sudden death.
The virus is extremely deadly that it could happen so swiftly and suddenly, giving little to no warning as rabbits could die even without showing symptoms. Any sudden rabbit death should be immediately reported to the nearest veterinarian or the authorities as it could be an RHDV case.
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