Virus killing pet rabbits
A SCIENTIST says government red tape is preventing the vaccination of pet rabbits for a deadly airborne disease that has already wiped out 80 per cent of one breeder’s bunnies in northern NSW.
Lismore rabbit breeder Fran Boston says she lost 65 of her 80 rabbits this month because of the rabbit haemmorghing disease (RHDV2), or type-two calici virus.
One rabbit, six-month-old Chinny, had been shown just the week before at the annual Rabbit Conference in Tweed as a rising star of the quirky sport of rabbit hopping.
Ms Boston breeds rare rabbit lines, including chinchillas, tans, New Zealand whites, Netherland dwarfs, mini lops and thrianta.
It is a particularly bitter pill for breeders because it is illegal to import rabbits into Australia so the breeds cannot be recovered.
“I had to dig holes and watch them die,” Ms Boston said. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone’s pet rabbit. It’s horrific, they cry and they whimper, it’s been the most horrible thing.”
The Rabbit Sanctuary founder Kim Cooney said the sudden spread of the disease to northern NSW had placed great strain on her organisation’s resources.
She said they had a outdoor set-up for their rabbits so they could run around and dig, but now had to move them inside permanently.
“We need a vaccination because even with all these preventive measures, it could still get through,” Ms Cooney said.
“I’m very angry. Why isn’t there a vaccination? Why did the government release it before there’s a vaccination?” Ms Cooney said.
It is understood the virus was accidentally released in Canberra in 2015 and has now spread to most parts of Australia. The disease is generally transmitted by insects.
Director of Treidilia Biovet, a veterinary vaccine specialist, Mark White, said he was developing an RHDV2 vaccine but was being stalled by sections of the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
“We’re relying on the cooperation from the agriculture department … but progress is frustrating,” he said. “We haven’t lodged our dossier because we need information from other government sectors.”
The department denied a hold up, saying it was simply working through the process.
“Scientists have a number of factors to work through to ensure an updated RHD vaccine is safe and effective for domestic rabbits and updates will be provided on the progress of this research as soon as they become available,” a spokeswoman said.
Mr White said the disease had a high death rate.
“If everyone comes to the party, we can move on to the next phase and we could have it out in the next few months.”