Pet rabbits at risk from lethal virus

Owners of pet rabbits are being urged to have their pets vaccinated against a virus which has killed millions of rabbits in the wild.

Vets in Cornwall issued a warning after six out of nine pet rabbits in one household died of viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD). The Head and Head Practice in Helston said: “There is no treatment available once a rabbit has contracted the virus and they are likely to die very suddenly without prior signs of illness.

“Please let us protect your rabbits by bringing them to be vaccinated.”

Experts advise having rabbits vaccinated against both strains of the virus – VHD-1 and VHD-2.

The wild rabbit population in Britain has fallen by 48 per cent in less than 20 years, coinciding with the spread of the virus. The disease has been described as the biggest threat to the species since the myxomatosis outbreak of the Fifties.