Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease

TL;DR. Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease is a highly contagious and rapidly fatal viral infection that causes severe liver failure and internal bleeding in rabbits, making prevention and vaccination essential.

The rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus primarily targets the liver, causing rapid organ failure and systemic bleeding.

De quoi s’agit-il ?

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) is a highly contagious, swift, and devastating viral disease that affects domestic and wild rabbits. Caused by the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (Lagovirus europaeus), which belongs to the Caliciviridae family, this pathogen is notorious for its extreme lethality and rapid progression. The virus primarily targets the liver, causing acute hepatic necrosis-a rapid and widespread destruction of liver cells. Because the liver is responsible for producing essen

Causes et facteurs de risque

The primary cause of this disease is the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (Lagovirus europaeus). There are two main viral types: RHDV1 (the classic strain) and RHDV2 (a highly virulent variant that emerged more recently). While RHDV1 historically affected only adult European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), RHDV2 has a much broader host range, infecting rabbits of all ages-including young kits under eleven days old-as well as various species of wild hares and jackrabbits. First recognized in

Signes

• Direct Contact: Healthy rabbits can contract the virus by coming into direct contact with an infected rabbit, its secretions, or a carcass.
• Fomites: The virus is exceptionally hardy and can survive on inanimate objects for long periods. Clothing, shoes, car tires, cages, bowls, bedding, and grooming tools can easily transport the virus from an infected area to a clean environment.
• Mechanical Vectors: Biting insects such as fleas and mosquitoes, as well as non-biting flies, birds, and rodents, can mechanically carry the virus on their bodies or ingest it from carcasses and subsequently deposit it on healthy rabbits or their food.
• Contaminated Food and Water: Foraged greens, hay, or water sources contaminated by wild rabbits can introduce the virus to domestic indoor rabbits.
• Sudden death (Cardinal): Rabbits are often found dead in their enclosures with no prior indication of illness. This is the hallmark of the peracute form, where death occurs within hours of infection.
• Lethargy (Common): In the acute form, rabbits become profoundly weak, depressed, and reluctant to move. They may sit in a hunched posture and show no interest in their surroundings.

Quand consulter

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease is a critical veterinary emergency. You must contact your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary clinic immediately if your rabbit exhibits any of the following red-flag symptoms: * Sudden, profound lethargy or collapse * Complete loss of appetite (anorexia) lasting more than 12 hours * Bleeding from the nose, mouth, or any other body orifice * **Dif

Diagnostic

Diagnosing Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in a living patient is difficult because the disease progresses so rapidly that clinical intervention is rarely possible. When a rabbit is brought to a clinic showing severe, non-specific signs like lethargy and fever, your vet will perform a rapid clinical assessment while maintaining strict isolation protocols to prevent contaminating the clinic. The gold st

Traitement

There are no specific curative antiviral treatments or drug therapies available for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in the clinical record or standard veterinary medicine. Once a rabbit exhibits clinical signs of RHD, the disease is almost always fatal, and treatment options are limited to supportive care. Because of the highly contagious nature of the virus, any suspected case must be strictly quarant

Prévention et quotidien

Because there is no cure for RHD, prevention through vaccination and strict biosecurity is the only effective way to protect your rabbit. Highly effective vaccines are available that provide robust protection against both RHDV1 and RHDV2 strains. Your veterinarian can recommend a vaccination protocol, which generally starts when the rabbit is a few

Sources

Veterinary internal medicine references for this condition.

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