Rabbit disease found among Feilding pets

During the last two weeks, at least eight domestic rabbits have died unexpectedly in the Feilding district.

A post-mortem examination at Massey University on one of the animals showed rabbit calicivirus was the cause of death.

Annabel Gorman, a veterinarian with Totally Vets in Feilding, said the disease is preventable by having rabbits vaccinated. Calicivirus disease, also known as haemorrhagic viral disease, was illegally introduced into New Zealand in 1997. Of animals exposed to the virus, 30 to 80 percent will develop the disease and almost all the infected animals will die.

The virus causes bleeding in the lungs, the windpipe, liver, spleen, kidneys and the heart.

Dr Gorman said it is unclear how it is transmitted, but it's thought that rabbits acquire the highly infectious virus by breathing it in, by eating it, by direct contact with an infected animal or through infected urine or faeces.

Insects are also able to carry the virus, so isolating rabbits is not enough to prevent infection.

The incubation period is one to three days and research has shown that rabbits younger than eight weeks of age are usually resistant to the virus.

Dr Gorman said there are three forms of the disease:

 * Death without any other signs.

 * Depression, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, shaking, and death within one to two days. Other signs may include a foamy or bloody discharge from the nose or anus, nervous signs or rapid death. Rabbits may appear to recover, then die several days later.

 * Mild form - depression, loss of appetite followed by recovery. These animals become immune from re-infection.

Dr Gorman said rabbits can be vaccinated from six weeks old, and will require boosters every three to four weeks until they are three months old. If vaccination starts at two-and-half to three months the young rabbits will not need another booster that year.

She said that in order to maintain immunity, all vaccinated rabbits should receive an annual booster.