Two domestic rabbits have died after being infected with a highly contagious virus that was recently discovered in Ontario, which has caused concern among veterinarians and pet owners.
The rabbits came from the same household and were previously healthy, according to Dr. Jamie McGill Worsley, a veterinarian in Forest, Ont, Lambton County.
The rabbits passed quickly.
“It was devastating for a pet owner without warning and initially without understanding,” she said. [virus] it was so. “
The samples were sent to a laboratory and earlier this month the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed that it was a rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV-2).
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said this was the first time RHDV-2 had been found in the province, although it had previously been found in British Columbia and Alberta.
The source of the infection is unknown, the agency said.
“Immediately afterwards, the CFIA quarantined the site,” the agency said in a statement. “The investigation has been completed and no high-risk contacts have been identified that could lead to the spread of the disease from this premise. The CFIA is cooperating with the province and continues to monitor the situation.”
What is RHDV-2
According to the CFIA, the disease is highly contagious in wild and domestic rabbits. The virus does not affect other species.
People can catch the virus on their shoes – or even on their car tires – through the feces of an infected rabbit, McGill Worsley said.
That’s one of the reasons the virus is so alarming, she said.
“It is very sustainable in the environment. It is very easy to spread with microscopic amounts. And then, of course, the potential result of this virus, its impact on rabbits, whether wild or domestic rabbits, is quite devastating, “said McGill Worsley, who has tightened disinfection protocols at her clinic because of the virus.
Dr. Jamie McGill Worsley of the Forest Veterinary Clinic in Forest, Ont., Is shown with a pet rabbit at her clinic. (Submitted by Jamie McGill Worsley)
The CFIA said infected rabbits usually show symptoms within one to five days. Symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, and neurological symptoms such as difficulty walking.
“Death is common after a short period of illness. Death can also occur suddenly without symptoms,” the CFIA said in a statement on its website.
Rabbit owner Hazel Gabe of Ottawa is part of a Facebook group for rabbit owners where news of the virus has caused concern.
“People are really scared. People are very scared and nervous,” she said.
But for some, there is little relief, she said.
“Now that there are some cases in Ontario, although we hate that some rabbits have died and someone has probably lost their pet. But that means we may finally have access to the vaccine because we’ve wanted to for some time. “
While other countries have vaccines that protect rabbits against the virus, there is no vaccine in Canada that is readily available.
Hazel Gabe, shown with her pet rabbit, wants to see a vaccine against the rabbit hemorrhagic virus virus become more widely available. (Sonia Varma / CBC)
In British Columbia, where there have been outbreaks, the government waited until there were a number of cases before proposing an organized vaccination program.
McGill Worsley suspects the case will be the same in Ontario. But at the moment, clinics must ask for a special permit to import the vaccine from Spain or France, she said.
“It’s a bit of a process. I’ve worked part of it myself … so we can start protecting rabbits once we get permission from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to bring these vaccines here. “
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