RHDV2 Confirmed in Endangered Riparian Brush Rabbit – May 20, 2022
California Academy of Sciences
May 20, 2022 – The first case of RHDV2 was been confirmed in the Riparian Brush Rabbit (a subspecies of the western brush rabbit), an endangered rabbit found only in small patches of remaining riparian forest habitat in the northern portion of the San Joaquin Valley and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California. Wildlife veterinarians at California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) were notified that the rabbit, found deceased in the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge, tested positive for the disease. The press release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is here.
1 Comment
Felipe Cuadrado · at 10:07 pm
This virus is a major deadly threat to all species of native wild rabbits and hares in addition to the domesticated farm and pet rabbits. These latest cases show however that RHDV2 spreads mainly through domesticated rabbits then to wild ones. This pattern thus can be disrupted by vaccinating all domesticated rabbits! Please make sure your bunny 🐰 is vaccinated against RHDV2. Not only will you be saving your little bunny but protecting all the wild ones around you as well! 🐰🐇❤️