Avoiding Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease while visiting Australia?

[DillyandEnder]

Hi, everyone. I have two rabbits at home, one of whom likely has a compromised immune system due to a chronic infection. I am going to Australia next week for work, and I'll be there for two weeks. I know that Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease is present there, and that it's horribly contagious and deadly. I'm a little worried about bringing something back on my clothes, shoes, etc., I was wondering if anyone who lives in or has visited Australia could tell me what precautions I should take during and after my visit? I'm planning to disinfect my shoes and quarantine anything else I bring back when I get home, but I don't really understand the risk and don't know what I actually should be doing. Thanks!

 

[Imbrium]

Welcome to RO!

The main way Australians prevent against the various types of RHDV is through vaccinations since it's far too virulent to rely on regular precautions for rabbits who live in Australia (a mosquito could get infected, come inside and bite a rabbit or a fly could poop in their food or water, etc. so just keeping rabbits inside isn't enough). This article has some information on page 2 that you may find helpful (the sections on transmission and disinfection). While I suspect that the odds are quite slim of picking it up on clothes and such unless you're backpacking through the wilderness or something or specifically around rabbits, it's a good idea to disinfect your shoes and clothes just to be safe (especially since the virus can live for a scary long time out of a living host and your bunn is immunocompromised). House Rabbit Society's site also has great info for prevention... very detailed info on how to disinfect both clothes and shoes properly, along with a list of disinfectants known to be effective against the virus.

 

[DillyandEnder]

Thank you very much! I wish the vaccine was available in my country, but hopefully these steps will be enough.

 

[lynne2809]

Thank you very much! I wish the vaccine was available in my country, but hopefully these steps will be enough.

Hi! I know this is an old thread, but were your rabbits okay? I have a friend that is coming back from a trip to Scotland and I am very worried about her bringing RHDV back with her and infecting my rabbits (she also has one rabbit). I advised her to change her clothes and wash them when she gets home and I gave her some Virkon to use on her shoes, but I am still really worried. Did everything end up okay with your rabbits?

 

[overhear]

I'm by no means an expert on this but I'm wondering if asking her to quarantine for a period of time away from you and your rabbits would be a good strategy. Just a thought.

 

[Preitler]

If one avoids getting in contact with rabbits there it's quite unlikely to get in contact with the virus. It's not like those countries are coated in it. Btw, it's in parts of the US too by now.
Cleaning everything, especially shoes, sure is a sensible measure, but I don't think there's a reason for panic if there wasn't any contact to any rabbits there, sick or not.

 

[lynne2809]

If one avoids getting in contact with rabbits there it's quite unlikely to get in contact with the virus. It's not like those countries are coated in it. Btw, it's in parts of the US too by now.
Cleaning everything, especially shoes, sure is a sensible measure, but I don't think there's a reason for panic if there wasn't any contact to any rabbits there, sick or not.

Thank you!! This is what I needed to stop freaking out. She said that she has mainly stayed in the city (Glasgow, Scotland) and she hasn’t had any direct contact with any rabbits- so I feel like the risk is probably realistically almost 0. I feel like if this were a likely method of transmission, there would be many more cases of RHDV throughout the country as so many people travel to the UK and back and interact with their bunnies back home in the US!

 

[Blue eyes]

Hi! I know this is an old thread, but were your rabbits okay? I have a friend that is coming back from a trip to Scotland and I am very worried about her bringing RHDV back with her and infecting my rabbits (she also has one rabbit). I advised her to change her clothes and wash them when she gets home and I gave her some Virkon to use on her shoes, but I am still really worried. Did everything end up okay with your rabbits?

The original poster has not been on this forum since they posted 2 years ago so I doubt there will be a reply from them.

As others have noted, RHVD2 is in the US also. You can read about it at the following thread. That thread also explains what steps one can take to minimize spreading it.

https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/rhvd2-in-the-us-what-you-need-to-know.99131/