Highly-Contagious Rabbit Disease Detected in CT: Agriculture Officials

CONNECTICUT — State wildlife officials have confirmed Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Type 2 at a private residence in Hartford County.

RHDV2 is a highly contagious foreign animal disease and can be fatal to domestic and wild rabbits. It cannot be transmitted from animals to humans, according to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

The disease was previously been detected in domestic rabbits in New York and New Jersey and has spread through multiple states in the southwestern United States.

The confirmation from the Agriculture Department follows a report of sudden death in 13 of 14 rabbits submitted to the state on Sept. 6, and to the USDA Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory the same day. The 14th rabbit died two days later. RHDV2 detection was confirmed via laboratory testing on Monday.

The outbreak's source has not yet been identified, and there is no evidence of infection in other locations. The epidemiologic investigation is ongoing.

The state is urging rabbit owners to monitor their rabbits for the disease's clinical signs, which include: sudden death, fever, lack of appetite, respiratory signs, nervous signs, internal bleeding leading to blood-stained noses and anemia.

The disease is confirmed through collection of postmortem tissue samples.

The state Department of Agriculture is citing these best practices when ___ with rabbits:

• Do not allow wild rabbits or pet rabbits from other locations to have contact with your rabbits or to gain entry to your facility or home.
• Do not allow visitors in rabbitries or let them handle pet rabbits without protective clothing (including coveralls, shoe covers, hair covering, and gloves).
• Always wash hands with warm soapy water before entering your rabbit area, after removing protective clothing and when leaving the rabbit area.
• Do not introduce new rabbits from unknown or untrusted sources.
• If you bring outside rabbits into your facility or home, keep them separated from your existing rabbits for at least 30 days. Use separate equipment for newly acquired or sick rabbits to avoid spreading disease.
• Sanitize all equipment and cages moved on or off premises before they are returned to the rabbitry.