Wildlife officers lately confirmed the presence of a lethal virus in California’s San Joaquin River Nationwide Wildlife Refuge. A riparian brush rabbit that was discovered lifeless contained in the refuge examined constructive for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Illness Virus 2 (RHDV2) on Could 20, based on veterinary workers with the California Division of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The virus is thought to have an effect on each wild and home rabbit populations.
“This can be a discovery we hoped would by no means happen,” CDFW Senior Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Deana Clifford stated final week. “We’re within the very early levels of understanding the impacts to the species now that RHDV2 has arrived on the refuge.”
A staff of companions, together with CDFW, the College of California Davis, and the Oakland Zoo, has been vaccinating riparian brush rabbits within the space since late final summer season. The staff has efficiently vaccinated 638 people to this point.
“This would be the true take a look at of the effectiveness of our vaccination efforts,” says Kim Forrest, USFWS San Luis Nationwide Wildlife Refuge Complicated Supervisor.
California wildlife officers are at the moment utilizing a French manufactured RHDV2 vaccine that has confirmed efficient in home populations. However final fall, a lab in South Dakota developed a brand new model of the vaccine, which was given emergency use authorization by the USA Division of Agriculture. The Medgene Labs vaccine is at the moment obtainable in 43 states, together with California.
Riparian brush rabbits are a species of cottontail that may solely be present in three California counties, together with Stanislaus County, the place the San Joaquin River NWR is situated. Accordingly, the species is listed as endangered beneath the Endangered Species Act.
Though the lethal virus has solely lately been detected in wild brush rabbits, a number of outbreaks have occurred within the Southwest over the previous few years.
The primary studies of the virus in the USA got here from a inhabitants of home rabbits in New Mexico in early 2020. The virus has now reached 11 states, together with New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Colorado, based on the USDA.
California’s first case of RHDV2 was confirmed in Could 2020, when officers detected the virus in a wild black-tailed jackrabbit that was collected from a gaggle of 10 lifeless rabbits close to Palm Springs. Since then, the outbreak has reached home rabbit populations in no less than 13 California counties. 9 counties, together with Stanislaus County, have additionally confirmed the virus’ presence in wild rabbit populations.
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RHDV2 is a extremely contagious illness. An infection is deadly normally, and plenty of contaminated rabbits have been discovered lifeless with blood coming from their nostril and mouth. Consultants imagine the virus can happen in any lagomorph species, together with rabbits, hares, jackrabbits, and pikas.
For California hunters focusing on cottontails, hares, and jackrabbits, CDFW officers suggest not searching in areas which have lately documented RHDV2 outbreaks or seem to include sick animals. Wildlife companies additionally suggest not consuming the meat of any rabbits that seem ailing or contaminated.
Transmission of the virus can happen via contact with contaminated people, animals, or supplies that encounter the contaminated rabbit. Because of this, officers suggest taking additional precautions when field-dressing rabbits, together with cleansing all of your gear, sporting gloves, and burying stays deep sufficient to stop scavenging.
The virus solely infects rabbits and isn’t identified to have an effect on people, livestock, or different animal species.
