Deadly Disease, June 16

ODFW release – SALEM, Ore.The USDA Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory last week confirmed rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) in a wild black-tailed jackrabbit collected in Lake County near Christmas Valley, Ore. on May 20, 2021. The confirmation marks the first time the deadly disease has been confirmed in a wild rabbit in Oregon; it was first detected in domestic rabbits in Milwaukie, Ore. on March 14, 2021. The jackrabbit was one of several observed dead in the area with signs of the disease; only recently deceased rabbits and hares are sampled for presence of the virus. RHDV2 is a viral disease that causes high mortality in populations and rapidly leads to death in rabbits. The virus can survive outside of the live animal under a range of temperatures and can survive in the environment in rabbit feces and on surfaces for weeks to months under favorable conditions. The virus spreads through direct contact between infected and susceptible live rabbits or exposure to contaminated materials (carcasses, pelts, food, water, forage, feces etc.). Birds, rodents, flies, predators, and scavengers can spread this virus via their feet, fur/feathers, or feces without becoming infected themselves. People can spread the virus indirectly by carrying it on their clothing, hands, and shoes. RHDV2 poses no human health risk; the disease specifically infects rabbits and hares. ODFW will continue to collect and test recently deceased and sick wild rabbits throughout Oregon to document the current distribution of the disease in rabbit populations and attempt to stop it from spreading to other wild rabbits. RHDV2 infections in other states have caused high mortality in wild rabbits and hares, which play an important role in the ecosystem that many other species depend on. ODFW is asking the public to report rabbit mortalities to track the virus’s presence and movement. Please call 1-800-347-7028 or visit https://oda.direct/RHD to report domestic or wild rabbits which are suspected to have died from RHDV2.