Scientific Articles

Barriers to Management of a Foreign Animal Disease at the Wildlife-Domestic Animal Interface: The Case of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in the United States – In this article, Shapiro et al. assess the degree to which government agencies are positioned to engage in cross-jurisdictional approaches to mitigate pathogen spillover by conducting the first study of how agricultural and wildlife agencies in the United States of America (U.S.) have responded to RHDV2 since it was detected in wild and domestic lagomorphs in March 2020. They found that inconsistent jurisdiction within and across states over lagomorph populations and industries, limited knowledge of wild lagomorph populations and the composition of the domestic rabbit industry, and resource constraints have hindered
management efforts. You can read in more detail by downloading the document here.

Engaging stakeholders in wildlife disease management: Hunters’ willingness to adopt and support biosecurity actions to prevent the spread of rabbit hemorrhagic disease – In this article, Shapiro et al. summarize the results of a nationwide survey of hunters to understand their willingness to engage in biosecurity actions. Respondents’ willingness to engage in or support biosecurity actions was positively correlated with their risk perceptions pertaining to lagomorph deaths and the economic impacts of RHDV2, perceptions of the importance of biosecurity,
and trust in state agencies to manage RHDV2. It was also positively related to their knowledge of RHDV2. Because of this, the authors recommend wildlife agencies should clearly communicate about RHDV2 and its adverse impacts on lagomorphs, biodiversity, and hunting to engage hunters in biosecurity measures.

Down the Rabbit Hole: Domestic Rabbit Owners’ Perceptions of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2

In this paper, the authors conducted the first survey of individuals who own or interact with domestic rabbits to identify their rabbit husbandry behaviors and knowledge of, and concerns about, RHDV2. Respondents had a high level of knowledge about RHDV2. Respondents believed RHDV2 posed a high risk to rabbit-related activities and were concerned about its economic and ecological impacts. Nearly half of respondents always kept their rabbits indoors, but 10.7% of respondents allowed their rabbits outside frequently on properties used by wild lagomorphs. Respondents with five rabbits or less were generally willing to vaccinate their rabbits, but respondents with larger herds argued that vaccines were cost prohibitive. Given respondents’ concerns about RHDV2, communication about disease prevention should highlight the adverse ecological and economic consequences of RHDV2.

Understanding rabbit owners’ willingness to engage in disease prevention behaviors

The authors investigated rabbit owners’ willingness to engage in recommended biosecurity practices and their support for potential government-implemented management actions. They found respondents were likely to engage in all biosecurity measures and were supportive of most management actions that could be implemented by government agencies. Respondents’ willingness to engage in and support biosecurity measures was correlated with their perceptions of the importance of biosecurity, risk perceptions pertaining to the impact of RHDV2 on lagomorphs and rabbit-related industries, knowledge of RHDV2, and trust in government to manage RHDV2. Respondents’ motivations for owning rabbits, husbandry behaviors, and demographic characteristics also influenced their willingness to engage in or support biosecurity measures.