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Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease found in La Crosse County, WI

Wisconsin officials say Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease has been found in La Crosse County.

State Veterinarian Dr. Darlene Konkel tells Brownfield this virus is relatively new to North America. “We have had detections in the U.S., primarily in the southwestern states, but also some other states sporadically around the country including Minnesota and we’ve just had our first detection in Wisconsin in domestic rabbits.”

Konkel says this first case involves pet rabbits at a rural La Crosse County residence, and people should watch for signs of illness in domestic and wild rabbits. “For rabbits, it is a serious disease, most often fatal. It can cause sudden death or bleeding from the nose or nostrils or mouth, and often what people may see is lethargy and, as I mentioned, sudden death.”

Konkel says a district veterinarian took samples to confirm the RHDV2 virus after the owner of the rabbits reported the sudden deaths to the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection.

Konkel says there are no restrictions on the movement of rabbits at this time, but she wants rabbit owners to practice good biosecurity measures to help protect their animals and prevent additional cases.

Konkel says in most cases, the only signs are sudden death and blood-stained noses caused by internal bleeding.  Infected rabbits experience fever, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, and possible seizures.

There is a vaccine for RHDV2 available, and it was approved for use in Wisconsin last October.