B.C. alerts pet rabbit owners as virus spreads

VICTORIA • A virus that has already killed hundreds of feral rabbits on Vancouver Island has spread and the British Columbia government is warning pet owners to take precautions.

The government says recent tests on dead feral rabbits in Nanaimo and Delta confirmed the presence of rabbit haemorrhagic disease, a calicivirus that includes a fever, convulsions and kills a rabbit within 36 hours.

It says dead rabbits found in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island are being sent to the provincial lab for testing.

The government issued its initial warning earlier this month after three rabbits sent to the Animal Health Centre in Abbotsford were determined to have died of the disease, which is exclusive to rabbits and does not affect cats, dogs, horses, other pets or humans.

B.C.’s chief wildlife veterinarian, Helen Schwantje, said earlier this month the highly infectious and deadly rabbit virus was making its first confirmed appearance in B.C. and third in Canada.

At the time, most of the deaths were recorded near or at the Nanaimo campus of Vancouver Island University.

The government statement Wednesday said the virus only affects European rabbits, and is not known to affect native North American rabbits. “Pet owners should monitor their rabbits daily for signs of illness and contact their veterinarian immediately with any concerns,” the statement said.