Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease - History

History

RHD first appeared in the Winter of 1983 in Jiangsu Province of the People's Republic of China. It was first isolated and characterized by S. J. Liu et al in 1984 Scientists cannot pinpoint its exact origins; however, it is believed the disease emerged from a virulent calicivirus spreading asymptomatically in European rabbit populations, particularly in the German Democratic Republic. The Chinese outbreak was spread by the angora rabbit, which had originated in Europe. Fourteen million domesticated rabbits died within nine months in the outbreak.

In 1984 the virus that caused the disease was identified. The virus spread westward and reached Europe in 1988. The virus has since appeared in Mexico, Cuba, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. In 1992, the United Kingdom reported its first case of RHD in domestic show rabbits. By the late 1990s, RHD stretched to forty countries and had become endemic in wild rabbit populations in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Cuba. In Europe there was a rapid increase in research into RHD, due to the importance of the commercial breeding of rabbits for meat and fur production.

The first reported case in the United States was in Iowa on March 9, 2000. The affected population included Palominos and California Whites. By April 6, 25 of the 27 affected rabbits had died as a result of RHD. In order to contain the disease, the remaining two rabbits were euthanized. No new introductions of rabbits were placed on the farm for two years after the discovery of RHD and August 1999 was the last time rabbits left and/or returned to the farm. The United States experienced other outbreaks of RHD in 2001 (Utah, Illinois, New York) and 2005 (Indiana).