In late April most of our membership received a one-page flier in the mail about a rabbit disease called Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (VHD). This deadly disease showed up for the first time in the U.S. in Crawford County, Iowa between March 9 and April 6, where it killed 25 out of 27 rabbits. The site was secured and sanitized, and after a vigorous investigation of the surrounding area, no additional cases of the disease were found. Thus, on May 11, the Federal government organization APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) and the State Veterinarian of Iowa declared the case isolated and contained. In essence this is good news, but it is not great news. We need to remain vigilant, but by no means should we panic. The best way to combat the disease and our own fears for our rabbit companions is with education and information. The WI-HRS will strive to keep you abreast of all developments concerning VHD.

One lingering concern is that it is still not known where this outbreak came from. The virus was the European strain, but we do not know how it got to Iowa. If we knew how it got there, we would have a better idea of our actual risk. At this time our actual risk is most likely very low. While the virus can last a long time outside its host, the lack of further cases is very encouraging. This is why APHIS believes that the Iowa incident is a singular event. Without solid information on where it came from or where it might have spread, we as responsible rabbit owners should report all sudden and unexplained, multiple deaths. Many veterinarians in Wisconsin are taking this seriously and there is at least one case where a VHD check was done. It was NOT found, but as the news spreads, both owners and veterinarians should keep this disease in mind when looking at unexplained sudden deaths. The telephone numbers of the State Veterinarians for Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana are listed below in case you or your vet have any questions about what kind of actions you should take in case of a sudden death. In Wisconsin, the State Veterinarian will actually send a trained technician to the infection site if they think that VHD is a serious possibility. Please remember that sending personnel is a decision of State Veterinarian’s office; any suspected carcasses should be refrigerated, not frozen, until the veterinarian can act.

Another VHD issue is the availability of the vaccine. While good vaccines against VHD exist, they are not approved in the United States. Commercial vaccines are used mainly in Europe, because VHD is widespread there. Whether a vaccine will be used in the U.S. largely depends upon whether the virus reappears. In Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, VHD is transmitted by native rabbit populations, which are the same species as our domestic rabbit. Information to date shows that the wild rabbit population in the US cannot carry or become infected with VHD. The lack of a wild species that can serve as a virus reservoir means that the need for a vaccine is not as compelling if the spread can be controlled in the domestic bunnies. With rabies or distemper in dogs and cats, the wild reservoirs are a compelling argument for a vaccination program since dogs and cats could become infected from raccoons and other species. Without such a situation the first line of defense for VHD is to keep it out of the US Our need for a vaccine will depend on whether VHD is widespread in the US The only way to determine if VHD is endemic is by reliable reporting of where and when VHD is the cause of death. Once again, this is the job of responsible veterinarians and pet owners. It does no one any good to conceal rabbit deaths caused by VHD.

Another issue is what the government is doing. At the moment, any action regarding VHD is officially under the jurisdiction of the individual states. The reality is that the USDA is taking a strong leadership role with this disease. Presently, policy is being developed. Meetings with the USDA are including the House Rabbit Society in the policy forming discussions. The USDA does know that there is a significant pet rabbit population that must be addressed in any policy concerning this disease; they appear to be taking the pet community very seriously. We will keep you informed as to what the policy is and let you know how a private citizen can make a difference if that seems useful.

At this point, the VHD threat appears to be an isolated case, it was dealt with quickly and watched carefully. Our job as responsible caretakers of our animals is to make sure the appropriate officials know of other possible cases. The risk of a serious problem diminishes with each day that the virus has not reappeared.

The State Veterinarians:

Wisconsin:	Dr. Robert Elhenfeldt	(608) 224-4872
Iowa:	Dr. John Schiltz	(515) 281-5305
Minnesota:	Dr. Thomas Hagerty	(651) 296-2942 x16
Illinois:	Dr. Richard Hull	(217) 782-4944
Indiana:	Dr. Brett Marsh	(317) 227-0303

Visit these websites for more information on VHD:
http://www.vhdinfo.com
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/cei/rabbitcal.htm
http://www.kindplanet.org/vhd/vhd.html

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