Use As Biological Control Agent
The European rabbit is the second most serious pest in New Zealand. Rabbits compete with livestock for grazing pasture, kill trees, shrubs, and have contributed to the extinction of some native plants. Consequently, rabbits contribute to soil erosion by eliminating the protective vegetation and disturb the soil by burrowing.
The estimated combined cost of control and production losses in New Zealand as a result of rabbits is about $23 million annually. This figure is only a small portion of the damage caused by rabbits.
Control measures used against rabbits in New Zealand include poisoning, shooting, ripping, blasting, releasing predators, and fencing.
After the safety of RHD was confirmed by laboratory research, RHD was approved for release as a biological control agent in New Zealand. RHD is safe because it infects rabbits, but not other animals or humans. It is also safe to eat the meat of infected RHD rabbits. Virus mutation is not a concern; many years of research show no evidence that the virus has changed to affect any other species other than European rabbit.
However, it is possible that widespread rabbit deaths might cause predators to prey upon other food sources, such as endangered or rare native species. With proper vaccination plans, the safety of domesticated rabbits should not be a concern.
Read more about this topic: Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease
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