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A lethal virus is spreading through the country’s rabbit population. A local rabbit rescue wants your help to slow it down

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Most people for the past two years have been focused on the COVID-19 virus. But local veterinarians are asking the community to pay attention to a virus affecting the rabbit population.

Dr. Susan Borders of Borders Veterinary Clinic examining a rabbit.
Dr. Susan Borders of Borders Veterinary Clinic examining a rabbit. [Credit Suzanne Grief]
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV2) is spreading in the United States. In 2010, the first detected infection of this strain of the virus was found in Europe. In the last two years, it has spread throughout the western part of America and made its way to Kentucky.

Dr. Susan Borders owns Borders Veterinary Services and said the virus can be transmitted from wild rabbits to pet rabbits through clothing.

“The virus is 100% fatal, so there’s no treatment for it and it is very aggressive and often causes symptoms such as a fever or liver issues. They can have bleeding into cavities,” Borders said.

“It’s going faster and faster. It’ll be in every state soon,” said Suzanne Grief, director of River Road Rabbit Rescue. “We do have a good number of people who keep rabbits as pets, but our region is largely 4-H and people who are having rabbits as livestock, for show.”

This virus does not affect humans or other animals, but pet owners may want to worry about the ecological effects.

“It’ll take out a huge part of the rabbit population, which means predators that rely on rabbits for food will lose a major food source which means they’ll come looking to us for resources like our pets,” Grief said. “So, people who free roam pets outside could be putting their pets at risk.”

Borders wants everyone to keep an eye out for wild rabbits, especially if you have a pet rabbit.

“We are asking people that if they experience a rabbit that dies suddenly, especially with any kind of fever or bleeding, that they seek out advice from their local veterinarian because those rabbits may need to be tested,” Borders said.

There is a vaccine available to protect rabbits against this virus. The RHDV2 vaccine producer, Medgene, received Emergency Use Authorization Approval from the USDA for their two-dose vaccine.

To get information about upcoming vaccine clinics, contact River Road Rabbit Rescue at 740-517-3486 or email athensrabbits@gmail.com.