Will Australian Virus to kill rabbits reach America? (2016 post)

Will Australian Virus to kill rabbits reach America?

Hi, I'm an American living with rabbits in New Zealand and when I first got my rabbits learned everything I know from people on this site

I thought I would share to you, this bad, bad, news I read to day. They are releasing a new strain of Calici Virus In Australia which is like rabbit ebola. It is also known as Rabbit Hemorrhage Disease -RHD, aka Rabbit Calici -RCD.
The Calici virus is so contagious and spreads so fast it acts as if its airborne, it sticks to everything, clothes, hay, flys, and lives for a very long time- it lives 3 months in hay. This new version sounds worse than the first. I hope America bans anything coming in from Australia that could possible come into contact with the virus.

I don't mean to be fear mongering but I really do believe once this virus is released in Australia, likely hood it will reach American sole if pretty high.
So I feel like everyone should be aware of what this virus is exactly. And also, if you are considering buying any Australian made farm products, if you have rabbits I would not.

Here's the news article about it how they are teaching farmers how to spread the virus and releasing in 2017. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-29/n ... ed/7367142

Here is a petition to sign. https://www.change.org/p/we-are-aga...-in-australia-please-help-stop-this-happening
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Below, is the information about the Virus from a petition that was circulating that outlines why it releasing this rabbit killing virus should not have been allowed.
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Please register my opposition to the proposed application to register RCD/RHD/VHD coated baits in Australia as a biological control agent of wild rabbits.

I believe that the Australian authorities failed to fully consult the global community in making the decision to declare RCD/RHD a biological control agent. The Australian authorities also failed to consult the most notable international calicivirus experts for their opinions on the safety of using RHD/RCD as a biological control agent. The international working committee on caliciviruses were also not consulted by the Australian authorities for its learned opinion concerning the potential dangers of deliberately spreading RCD/RHD across the Australian continent.

Four out of the five major calicivirus groups were known to cause disease in humans at the time the RCD/RHD virus was legalised as a biocontrol of European rabbits in Australia. RCD/RHD has existed in its current state only since it first appeared in China in 1984 and little is known about the origin of the disease. Also, there are no safe vaccines to protect non-target species and there is no funded research world wide to search for potential infection by RCD/RHD in non-rabbit species. According to CSIRO research, high antibody levels of RCD/RHD were found in many species never before infected by RCD/RHD. Also, according to the 1996 BRS report on RCD/RHD some non-exposed animals (chicken, falcon and blue-tongued lizard) tested positive to RCD/RHD by having antibody levels to RCD greater than the cut off point of 30%. Some animals such as mice showed signs of infection (anti-body levels higher than 30%) after being deliberately infected with RCD.

Antibodies to RCD were found in a Mexican laboratory worker and it is quite likely that humans will be affected by RCD/RHD exposure.

An article in Medline shows pigs may be susceptible to RHD. "1: Can J Vet Res 2000 Apr;64(2):134-7.
Susceptibility of piglets to rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus following experimental infection.
Shien JH, Lee LH.
Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
The possibility exists that rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) can be transmitted to swine, through lapinized hog cholera virus (HCV) vaccine. To investigate the infectivity of RHDV in swine, 16 four- to six-week-old piglets were inoculated subcutaneously with RHDV, and samples of liver, lung, spleen, kidney, bile, adrenal gland, tonsil, mesenteric lymph node, thymus, urine, buffy coat, and feces were collected from each of 2 animals on Days 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 28 post infection. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, viral RNA was detected in most tissues by Day 3 and was absent after Day 5, except in lung and liver tissues, in which viral RNA was detected up to Day 14. Viral RNA was not detected in kidney, urine, feces or bile. Antibody responses, as detected by hemagglutination inhibition, were of low titer and short duration, and were similar in animals inoculated with viable RHD and in those given formalin-inactivated RHDV (n = 2). Neither viral RNA nor antibody were detected in the negative control or in the uninfected, in-contact animals.
PMID: 10805254 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
[If the researchers were finding RHD in the tissues of the pig's liver and lungs at day 14 that means the RHD is replicating].

Dr Alvin Smith (Professor of Calicivirus Studies) at Oregon State University has studied caliciviruses for over 20 years. The Biological Control Authority did not address Dr Smith's concerns regarding the dangers of using RHD as a biological control agent but chose to ignore them. The BRS Report August 1996 on RCD did nothing to address the concerns of many international scientists who oppose the use of RCD as a biological control agent.In a letter to the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture (11th April 1997) Dr Smith wrote:
"1. The origins (mutation or non-rabbit host) of RHD in China in 1984 remain unknown.

2. The genetic determinants and mechanisms resulting in a rapid and bloody RHD induced death are unknown.

3. The modes of RHD transmission across ocean channels and between continents are unknown.

4. The mechanisms of RHD transmission, which is sometimes rapid and sometimes leap-frog (hundreds of kilometers), are unknown.

5. The reason for failure of RHD to transmit even under contact conditions in fenced enclosures (Wardang Island) are unknown.

6. The host range of RHD is virtually certain to extend well beyond rabbits (Geelong experiment showing 2-17 fold antibody increases in 11 test species using purported subimmunogenic virus doses) but remains unknown.

7. Diagnostic reagents for RHD lack the specificity and sensitivity to carry out adequate epidemiologic assays, particularly in non-rabbit species including humans.

8. RHD vaccines for rabbits in Spain are reported over time to have become less protective.

9. RHD vaccines are not available to protect any non-rabbit species at risk, including humans.

10. RHD has not been shown (using proven and acceptable scientific methods) to be caused by a calicivirus alone; therefore, the infectious makeup of RHD is unknown.

11. RHD cannot be propagated in cell culture. Yet, that was a stated essential CSIRO requirement to be met before infectivity studies were to be carried out (1994 BRS report).

12. Contrary to the report that there was no evidence of human health risk in a study of this issue in Australia, the data indicated health was adversely affected. Because the study was so poorly designed, it is impossible to conclude with certainty what the actual status of health risk is.

13. In Australia, RHD is uncontrollable, unpredictable, and often unreliable as a rabbit control agent. Thus, the reality of RHD now loose in the countryside has turned virtually every Australian/New Zealand RHD program prediction and pronouncement into a statement of foolishness."

Taking into account all of the above, it is obvious that the risks to humans and all other species currently being blanketed with RCD/RHD by the Australian authorities outweigh any perceived benefits as put forth by Australian authorities. Also, the continued deliberate spread of RCD/RHD by Australian authorities is causing an increased likelihood of spreading RCD/RHD to the rest of the world (where RCD/RHD is unwanted). It is true that over 40 countries may have RCD/RHD on their shores. However, RCD/RHD arrived in those countries univited and unwanted as the result of epidemic. Many countries who value their rabbit populations would rather see the demise of the RCD/RHD than their rabbits. I also disagree strongly on moral and ethical grounds with the use of deadly diseases as biological control agents of any species. No-one can ever determine that a deadly virus will stay specific to one host and the deliberate introduction and spread of such deadly exotic viruses from one country to another poses unacceptable risks of cross species infection to all species.

Please ask the APVMA to de-register the live RCD/RHD virus as a licensed chemical product. Also ,please call for an open and independent public inquiry into (a)how the RCD virus was allowed to escape onto the Australian mainland (and who allowed this to happen) and (b)how RCD/RHD [a deadly hemorrhagic virus of mammals] was ever allowed to become registered as a safe and acceptable veterinary chemical product by the APVMA in Australia when international calicivirus experts (who believe RCD/RHD is unsafe to deliberately spread across Australia) were not consulted.
I am also aware of the painful ear-rot that is occuring in New Zealand wild rabbits since farmers illegally imported and spread RCD/VHD on baits there. The ear-rot in New Zealand rabbits associated with RCD spread on baits is discussed in the February 1999 issue of the New Zealand Veterinary Journal. Pictures and an explanation of the New Zealand ear-rot rabbits are available on the internet at http://www.iinet.net.au/~rabbit/earadv.htm

Is it the new variation the RHD? The one Filavie released a vaccine against in 2012 (Filavac)? If it is, Filavac is said to be as effective as the vaccine against the 'classic' RHD but it lasts for 6 months and not a year. Apparently, the main problem with this form is that rabbits show signs of the illness a lot less quickly than with the original virus, adn they can contaminate other rabbits during this period while the owner is unaware they've got a sick rabbits.
This new mutation of the virus has been appearing in France since 2010, we don't know why because no one released it so either it was imported or it was a spontaneous mutation of RHD...

Aki, As I understand it. There is the original strain of RHD and then there is RHDV2 and the Korean strain as well. I think the one in France is the RHDV2 one which has jumped species from rabbits to hares, while the original RHD did not affect hares? RHVD2 has been found in rabbits in Australia but it was not released by the government which means it traveled accidentally to Australia on someones boots perhaps, or a farmer smuggled it in. The article I posted was about the Korean strain which the government is releasing legally. I thought I should post this on an American forum because I am worried if all these strains of RHD are in Australia they could be spread to America. On another forum someone posted that the RHDV2 virus is in Germany now and they are wondering how it got in and if anyone smuggled it. In Australia they are saying the vaccine for original RHD will work on Korean virus but some wonder if it will or not.

And with the RHDV2 I think they are saying it needs a different vaccine but the government won't let them import it into the country. Its all pretty horrible. I believe, with a virus going into populations of millions of rabbits, chances are it will could jump species.

Am I correct in thinking you're talking about the K5 strain? Right now I think we have enough to worry about with RHDV-2 currently spreading rapidly across the country killing without warning. There is debatable proof as to whether the current vaccine available in Australia helps against RHDV-2 and I don't think they've done a terrible amount of research into the K5 strain either, more saying that "well the current vaccine should cover it" but they don't really know.

It's all round bad news for rabbit owners. It's at the point where it's not even safe to forage for your rabbit outdoors unless you know with 100% certainty that there have been no rabbits there (ie, your own backyard).

I wrote a paper on RHDV for my Master's degree! As far as being worried it will be in the US, it's already in South America and in our labs in America. And my research indicated it can be transmitted from a fly on the body of one rabbit landing on the eye of another- so that may explain the many km jump you mentioned.

The biggest problem with the current vaccine is that it's a live attenuated strain (which not only means rabbits are killed to make the vaccine, but it can potentially (however unlikely) evolve back into the virulent strain (particularly in pregnant and young animals).

The sort of good news is, if you have a young rabbit exposed to the virus (under 6 weeks), he will not be affected, but will build up an immunity. This is probably why the first release of the virus in Australia did not work well. Do you know if they are releasing it in conjunction with another virus which may affect the juvenile rabbits? My research mostly focused on vaccine development, but I feel there has to be a more effective way of ridding Australia of feral rabbits. Unfortunately for the lesser bilby, I'm not sure we will find it in time; but this essentially just breeds immunity into the populations of surviving rabbits.

There is all sorts of controversy over the vaccines which is confusing to me. I believe the Korean strain will kill young kits and that is one of the reasons the people who want it, farmers and such, are so excited about it. The vaccine makers are also saying the current vaccine available will work on the Korean strain but others are saying it is not working.

Yes, I'm not sure about the K5 straing, but I do know that RHDV2 does kill young kittens.

I know that the original RHDV is in the USA, but it doesn't really spread because the wild cottontails don't spread it (I don't think). So it just kind of crops up every now and then in the pet population. I'm not sure what the situation will be in regards to cottontails and the 2nd strain, and K5. Who knows what could happen.

@Aki, we only have the Cylap vaccine available in Australia.

Interesting stuff on here.

I'm from the UK and we have confirmed cases of RHD2 killing all across the country.
Our wild population has dropped dramatically and a lot of pets are being lost. A rescue lost a few kits, their mum survived.
We're lucky enough that we have been able to import the vaccine from France and vaccinate our pets but many vets still do not see the threat.

The K5 strain will probably travel easily and I do see it as a true threat for other countries.
I know the K5 strain is meant to kill a lot quicker than myxi etc but from the sounds of what it actually does to kill them they may as well just poison the rabbits. Or even cheaper, shoot them.

I’m in Australia they have made a vaccine for rhdv2 but the agriculture part of government won’t approve it for use and won’t give us any updates. They won’t allow a myxomatosis vaccine either. I have also heard in France calicivirus has mutated and another strain no longer covered by their vaccine

Though this is an old thread, it does address an ongoing issue in Australia. There is some current info available at the following site that includes info on a modified vaccine protocol to help protect against RHVD2.
https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-b...t-my-rabbit-from-rabbit-haemorrhagic-disease/
And this for suggestions on what one can do in Australia to minimize risk of myxo...
https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-is-myxomatosis-and-how-do-i-protect-my-rabbit-from-it/

[email protected]
Email here for rhdv2 vaccine. Is one made but they won’t approve it haven’t even applied for a permit.
this is the reply everyone gets