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Rabbit Disease Under
Investigation in Southern Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS (9 June 2005)— A
viral disease deadly to domestic rabbits has been identified
on a Vanderburgh County, Indiana farm. While highly
infectious to domestic breeds, rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD)
is not known to harm humans, other animals or wild rabbit
species, including American cottontail and jack rabbits.
Staff members from the Indiana
State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) and the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services are investigating the
source of the disease that killed nearly half of the 200
rabbits on the farm. RHD has not been diagnosed previously
in Indiana.
Details are still being
confirmed in the investigation. While animals from the
infected farm are not believed to have been sold into pet
shop or exhibition channels, rabbit owners are still advised
to watch for signs of RHD in their animals, especially if
they were acquired recently from sources such as swap meets
and flea markets, particularly from Kentucky.
Often the first sign of RHD is
an animal’s sudden death, according to BOAH veterinarian Dr.
Sandra K.L. Norman, director for Companion Animals. The key
sign to look for is the presence of clear or bloody foamy
discharge from the animal’s body openings at the time of
death.
“This disease can be difficult
to distinguish during the hot summer months, when rabbits
are particularly susceptible to heat-related deaths,”
explained Dr. Norman. “In those cases, however, the rabbit
does not typically show signs of bleeding.”
If an animal exhibits those
signs, the owner should take a few protective measures until
a diagnosis can be confirmed:
1. contact his/her local veterinarian to report the
disease and submit the animal for testing;
2. do not move rabbits from the site, particularly to
sales and shows where exposure to other animals is possible;
3. prevent healthy animals
from having contact with potentially contaminated organic
material and equipment, including cages or vehicles; and
4. do not introduce new
rabbits onto the site, risking exposure.
RHD, also commonly known as
rabbit calicivirus and viral hemorrhagic disease (VHD), is
spread by contact with an infected rabbit, rabbit products
and contaminated objects, such as feces, bedding, cages or
feed. The virus has a short incubation period of 24 hours
to 48 hours. Typically, rabbits will suddenly die within six
hours to 24 hours of the onset of fever with few clinical
signs, such as foamy nasal discharge. Most infected animals
appear depressed in their final hours and may show
neurological signs.
Death loss is often very high—up
to 90 percent or more of the animals that become ill. Some
animals can recover, but may remain contagious for up to 4
weeks. No treatment or vaccine is available.
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease was
first identified in China in 1984. The disease has spread to
other parts of the globe, including Mexico in the late
1980s; however, the disease is not considered endemic to the
United States, where the last known case was in Iowa in
2000.
Denise
Derrer
Public
Information Director
Indiana
State Board of Animal Health
805
Beachway Drive; Ste. 50
Indianapolis, IN 46224-7785
317/227-0308
fax:
317/227-0330
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