Help! My rabbits are dying

Dear Prof McCrindle,

I live in Gauteng and breed rabbits. They are kept in cages outside and now they are dying. There was a wild rabbit that was close to them last week, but it is no longer there. Is this the disease they were talking about in Farmer’s Weekly a few weeks ago? What can I do? Kind regards,

Worried

Dear Worried,

Yes, it’s the same virus mentioned in Farmer’s Weekly. According to an online communique in August, the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development received information that dead rabbits and hares were being found in the Karoo areas of the Western and Northern Cape. Post-mortem samples were sent to Onderstepoort for diagnosis and the disease was confirmed as rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD). It has now spread to Gauteng.

This disease of rabbits is also called myxomatosis and is caused by the Myxoma pox virus. It is transmitted by direct contact and blood-sucking insects like fleas, ticks, mites and mosquitoes. It can also be spread directly from one rabbit to another or can be transmitted by infected droppings or bedding. The first signs of disease are puffy swelling around the head and face, sometimes called ‘sleepy eyes’ or ‘big head disease’. This is followed by swelling of the lips, on the inside of the ears and around the anus and genital areas. The swelling of the eyes causes blindness and those that survive a few days usually get a secondary pneumonia. It is a haemorrhagic (bleeding) disease and eventually all organs are affected and death is rapid in acute cases. Those that survive the initial infection often show growths and tumours. Humane euthanasia is indicated – speak to your vet.

The first thing to do if there is an outbreak is to remove all dead rabbits and destroy the carcasses and all droppings and bedding. Cages must be scrubbed clean and disinfected. If the rabbits are kept on soil, it would be a good idea to sprinkle the soil with agricultural lime and dig it in well. Biosecurity and insect control is essential for rabbits kept indoors.

The air should be filtered with a screen to keep out mosquitoes. Protective clothing is needed for all workers. Commercially available feed and a source of clean water is essential. Pet rabbits should be brought indoors and housed in mosquito-proof cages.

Some rabbits appear to be naturally resistant and survive, but these must be kept in quarantine as they could be a source of further outbreaks. You must apply personal hygiene and wear protective clothing until a vaccine is available, as these rabbits could form the nucleus for restocking breeding animals. Talk to your vet, as it’s a notifiable disease. In Australia, RHD initially caused 90% mortality, but natural resistance has reduced this to 50%. Vaccination is now used for control in countries where RHD is endemic. Prof Cheryl McCrindle

ȊȲSource: Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. 17 August 2023. ‘An outbreak of rabbit haemorrhagic disease in Western and Northern Cape’. gov.za/ speeches/agriculture-land-reform-andrural-development-announces-outbreakrabbit-hemorrhagic-disease.

Cheryl McCrindle is an emeritus full professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Pretoria, and has extensive experience in animal health. Email her at farmersweekly@caxton.co.za. Subject line: Ask our vet.