Deadly Virus Spreads to Endangered Rabbit Populations in California
“ This is a discovery we hoped would never occur, ” CDFW Senior Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Deana Clifford said last workweek. “ We are in the very early stages of understanding the impacts to the species now that RHDV2 has arrived at the refuge. ”
A team of partners, including CDFW, the University of California Davis, and the Oakland Zoo, has been vaccinating riparian brush rabbits in the area since former last summer. The team has successfully vaccinated 638 individuals so army for the liberation of rwanda.
“ This will be the true test of the effectiveness of our inoculation efforts, ” says Kim Forrest, USFWS San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex Manager .
California wildlife officials are presently using a french manufactured RHDV2 vaccine that has proven effective in domestic populations. But last fall, a lab in South Dakota developed a newfangled translation of the vaccine, which was given hand brake use authority by the United States Department of Agriculture. The Medgene Labs vaccine is presently available in 43 states, including California .
riparian brush rabbits are a species of wood rabbit that can only be found in three California counties, including Stanislaus County, where the San Joaquin River NWR is located. consequently, the species is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act .
Although the madly virus has only recently been detected in godforsaken brush rabbits, several outbreaks have occurred in the Southwest over the past few years .
The first reports of the virus in the United States came from a population of domestic rabbits in New Mexico in early 2020. The virus has now reached 11 states, including New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Colorado, according to the USDA.
California ’ s first gear case of RHDV2 was confirmed in May 2020, when officials detected the virus in a wild black-tailed jackrabbit that was collected from a group of 10 abruptly rabbits near Palm Springs. Since then, the outbreak has reached domestic lapin populations in at least 13 California counties. Nine counties, including Stanislaus County, have besides confirmed the virus ’ presence in rampantly rabbit populations .
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RHDV2 is a highly contagious disease. infection is fateful in most cases, and many infected rabbits have been found dead with rake coming from their nose and talk. Experts believe the virus can occur in any lagomorph species, including rabbits, hares, jackrabbits, and pika .
For California hunters targeting cottontails, hares, and jackrabbits, CDFW officials recommend not hunting in areas that have recently documented RHDV2 outbreaks or appear to contain nauseated animals. Wildlife agencies besides recommend not eating the meat of any rabbits that appear ill or infected.
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transmission of the virus can occur through contact with infect individuals, animals, or materials that encounter the infect rabbit. As a result, officials recommend taking extra precautions when field-dressing rabbits, including cleaning all your gear, wearing gloves, and burying remains cryptic enough to prevent scavenge .
The virus only infects rabbits and is not known to affect humans, livestock, or other animal species .
The post Deadly Virus Spreads to Endangered Rabbit Populations in California appeared first on Babypetdaily.com.
source https://babypetdaily.com/california-rabbitry-1663352892/
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