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Received by the Rabbit Industry Council (Pamela Alley) June 8, 2005
Emergency Management Notice 1: Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (Viral Hemorrhagic Disease of Rabbits ) in Vanderburgh county, Indiana
On June 7, 2005, Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) was confirmed at a private residence in Vanderburgh county, Indiana by the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL) on Plum Island, NY. Specimens from these rabbits were positive for RHD antigen on ELISA, electron microscopy, and PCR.
A FAD investigation was initiated on June 3, 2005 on a premises that raises rabbits primarily for sale to reptile owners as a food source for snakes. The investigation revealed that many of the 200 rabbits on the premises suddenly died during the past 10 days. Less than a dozen rabbits had recently been purchased from Kentucky and introduced into the herd. An epidemiologic investigation has begun in Kentucky. The remaining rabbits are quarantined and will be euthanized and disposed of in accordance to State regulations. Cleaning and disinfection of the area will follow. The Indiana epidemiological investigation is ongoing.
APHIS, Veterinary Services (VS), the Indiana Board of Animal Health, and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture are working together to address this situation. VS will assist the affected State in the euthanasia, cleaning, and disinfection of the premises.
VS will continue to investigate reports of suspect RHD as part of its foreign animal disease surveillance program and will continue to diagnose suspect cases at FADDL. The last known positive RHD case in the US occurred in a captive exotic animal facility in Flushing, New York in December 2001.
APHIS, Veterinary Services (VS), the Indiana Board of Animal Health are working together to address this situation. VS will assist the affected State in the euthanasia, cleaning and disinfecting of the premises.
VS will also investigate reports of suspect RHD as part of its foreign animal disease surveillance program and will continue to diagnose suspect cases at FADDL.
Please forward this information to other Federal, State, and industry counterparts as necessary.
-----definitions---------
Emergency Management Issue is for information with no impact on APHIS
Emergency Management Notice is an ongoing incident with potential impact on APHIS
Emergency Management Warning is an ongoing incident with almost certain impact on APHIS
Received by the Rabbit Industry Council (Pamela Alley) June 10, 2005
Emergency Management Notice 2 : Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (Viral Hemorrhagic Disease of Rabbits ) in Vanderburgh county, Indiana
Background
In response to unexpected deaths of rabbits that began on May 27, 2005, on a private residence in Vanderburgh county, Indiana, a foreign animal disease investigation was initiated jointly by the Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH) and APHIS-Indiana on June 3. An initial diagnosis of rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) was made at the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Dubois, IN. Tissues were subsequently forwarded to Plum Island Animal Diagnostic Laboratory for confirmation. On June 7, 2005, RHD was confirmed by the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL) on Plum Island, NY. Specimens from these rabbits were positive for RHD antigen on ELISA, electron microscopy, and PCR.
Update
The index premises is currently under State quarantine. As of June 9th, the remaining rabbits on the infected premises were euthanized and the premises is currently being cleaned and disinfected. The joint epidemiologic investigation has revealed that the Indiana owner recently purchased rabbits from a flea market in Kentucky and introduced them into the herd. Kentucky animal health officials have interviewed several people in association with this investigation; these persons have all stated that there has been no evidence of illness in their rabbits. The Indiana animal health officials have interviewed the owner of the infected premises and are tracing rabbit movements off of the premises during the last 3 weeks.
To date, there have been no additional reports of rabbit illness to either the Indiana or Kentucky animal health officials.
APHIS, Veterinary Services (VS), the Indiana Board of Animal Health, and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture are working together to address this situation. VS will continue to assist in any additional response activities.
For additional information:
Indiana Board of Animal Health 317-227-0300
Kentucky Department of Agriculture 502-564-3956
APHIS Legislative and Public Affairs office 301-734-7799
VS will continue to investigate reports of suspect RHD as part of its foreign animal disease surveillance program and will continue to diagnose suspect cases at FADDL.
A rabbit hemorrhagic disease fact sheet can be found on the APHIS website at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/fsheet_faq_notice/fs_ahrabbithd.html
Please forward this information to other Federal, State, and industry counterparts as necessary.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Denise Derrer, Public Information Director, Indiana State Board of Animal Health; 317/227-0308; email: dderrer@boah.in.gov
Rabbit Disease Under Investigation in Southern Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS (9 June 2005)— A viral disease deadly to domestic rabbits has been identified on a Vanderburgh County, Indiana farm. While highly infectious to domestic breeds, rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is not known to harm humans, other animals or wild rabbit species, including American cottontail and jack rabbits.
Staff members from the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services are investigating the source of the disease that killed nearly half of the 200 rabbits on the farm. RHD has not been diagnosed previously in Indiana.
Details are still being confirmed in the investigation. While animals from the infected farm are not believed to have been sold into pet shop or exhibition channels, rabbit owners are still advised to watch for signs of RHD in their animals, especially if they were acquired recently from sources such as swap meets and flea markets, particularly from Kentucky.
Often the first sign of RHD is an animal’s sudden death, according to BOAH veterinarian Dr. Sandra K.L. Norman, director for Companion Animals. The key sign to look for is the presence of clear or bloody foamy discharge from the animal’s body openings at the time of death.
“This disease can be difficult to distinguish during the hot summer months, when rabbits are particularly susceptible to heat-related deaths,” explained Dr. Norman. “In those cases, however, the rabbit does not typically show signs of bleeding.”
If an animal exhibits those signs, the owner should take a few protective measures until a diagnosis can be confirmed:
1. contact his/her local veterinarian to report the disease and submit the animal for testing;
2. do not move rabbits from the site, particularly to sales and shows where exposure to other animals is possible;
3. prevent healthy animals from having contact with potentially contaminated organic material and equipment, including cages or vehicles; and
4. do not introduce new rabbits onto the site, risking exposure.
RHD, also commonly known as rabbit calicivirus and viral hemorrhagic disease (VHD), is spread by contact with an infected rabbit, rabbit products and contaminated objects, such as feces, bedding, cages or feed. The virus has a short incubation period of 24 hours to 48 hours. Typically, rabbits will suddenly die within six hours to 24 hours of the onset of fever with few clinical signs, such as foamy nasal discharge. Most infected animals appear depressed in their final hours and may show neurological signs.
Death loss is often very high—up to 90 percent or more of the animals that become ill. Some animals can recover, but may remain contagious for up to 4 weeks. No treatment or vaccine is available.
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease was first identified in China in 1984. The disease has spread to other parts of the globe, including Mexico in the late 1980s; however, the disease is not considered endemic to the United States, where the last known case was in Iowa in 2000.
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Denise Derrer
Public Information Director
Indiana State Board of Animal Health
805 Beachway Drive; Ste. 50
Indianapolis, IN 46224-7785
317/227-0308
fax: 317/227-0330
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