VHD in Rabbits

Welcome to the Info Page on VHD in Rabbits

Featured Dilemma:

Recent outbreak of VHD in Indiana and Kentucky rabbits

What is this serious disease in rabbits that everybody's talking about?  I've heard it called RHD and VHD.  Which is it?  What is it?

RHD is rabbit hemorrhagic disease and VHD is viral hemorrhagic disease.  They are the same thing  The technical term is Rabbit Calicivirus. RHD or VHD is a contagious, infectious, viral disease in rabbits.  Contact with infected rabbits, rabbit products, rodents, and contaminated objects such as cages, feeders, or clothing can spread the disease.  Infected droplets may spread the virus short distances through the air.  The risk of spread of RHD is higher when confined rabbits are in close contact with each other.  Infected rabbits that recover may become carriers of the virus and may shed virus for at least 4 weeks.  The death rate for RHD ranges from 50 to 100%.  A vaccination is available for domestic rabbits in some countries, but not in the US at this point in time. RHD does not affect humans, other animals, or American wild rabbits.

What are the symptoms of VHD?

RHD has an incubation time of 24 to 48 hours and damages the liver, intestines, and lymphatic tissue, and causes terminal massive blood clots.  Young adult and adult rabbits suddenly die, within 6 to 24 hours of the onset of fever, with few clinical signs.  Fever may be as high as 105 degrees F but often is not detected until the rabbits show terminal clinical signs.  Animals appear depressed or reluctant to move in the last hours and may show a variety of neurologic signs, including excitement, incoordination, paddling, and an abnormal position of the hear due to spasms of the muscles at the top and back of the neck.  Some affected rabbits may have a foamy nasal discharge.

more . . . .