Hot Topics in ECM Medicine: Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV2): What You Need to Know About the U.S. Outbreak

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD), caused by a calicivirus, is a serious and contagious viral disease of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus spp.) that causes high morbidity and mortality. It is endemic in many parts of the world including Europe and Australia. A new variant of RHD, RHDV2, emerged in 2010 and is now spreading in the United States affecting both domestic (Oryctolagus spp.) and several wild rabbit species. RHDV2 is a reportable disease and is not contagious to nonrabbit species or humans and therefore not a public health concern