RHD2

[jigsaw 11,866]

https://beat102103.com/news/public-asked-to-report-sightings-as-deadly-disease-is-found-from-hare-in-wexford/?fbclid=IwAR32CQzv3TKjXxyVwKnd2l7NnSUFfBYEoTKyBB5CcegmBC1_K2vyQ6GZdOU

 

A disease fatal to rabbits and hares, but of no risk to humans, has been confirmed in the wild in Ireland for the first time.

Today, the virus has been confirmed from a hare in Co. Wexford.

The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht’s National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is asking the public to report any suspected cases. 

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) was first reported in domestic (farmed) rabbits in China in 1984 killing millions of animals within one year of its discovery.

 

By 1986 this viral disease had been found in continental Europe and has since spread globally leading to significant mortality in wild populations of rabbits.

In 2010, a new more virulent strain of this virus (RHD2) emerged in France.

It causes death within a few days of infection with sick animals having swollen eyelids, partial paralysis and bleeding from the eyes and mouth.

Most distressingly, in the latter states close to death, animals exhibit unusual behavior emerging from cover into the open and convulsing or fitting before dying.

The disease was reported in Ireland from domestic rabbits in 2018, but has now been confirmed in the wild from a rabbit in Co. Wicklow, Co. Clare and Co.Wexford.

In all cases individual animals were tested at Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine Laboratories where RHD2 was subsequently confirmed.

While all three locations continue to support apparently healthy wild populations, unlike the situation in the UK where mass mortalities have been reported, NPWS Conservation Rangers continue to monitor the situation.

The virus has been detected throughout Europe, in wild rabbits, hares and seemingly unrelated species including voles and shrews.

The Irish hare is native to Ireland and found nowhere else and should this disease prove as infectious and lethal here as it has done elsewhere in Europe, the impact on the hare could be catastrophic.

Dr. Ferdia Marnell of the NPWS Scientific Unit outlined his concerns:

“Rabbits are central to wild ecosystems, being the main food for many predators from stoats to eagles that in turn regulate other animal populations.”

A decline in our wild rabbits will have numerous knock-on consequences.

“Of further concern is the potential for the disease to spread through the Irish hare population.”

The disease is highly contagious and can be spread directly between animals and in the faeces and urine of infected animals, as well as by insects and on human clothing.

In addition the incubation period may last several days and apparently uninfected animals may in fact be carriers.

Under these circumstances the catching of hares in nets, their transportation in boxes and the collection and holding of hares in confined areas can all be considered to increase the risk of disease spread.

Accordingly the Department has decided to suspend the licences issued to the Irish Coursing Club to capture and tag hares for the 2019/20 hare coursing season with immediate effect until a clearer understanding of the extent, spread and implications of the RHD2 virus emerges.

The public – particularly landowners, farmers, vets and the hare coursing community – is being asked to be on high alert and to report any suspected sightings of diseased rabbits and hares as soon as possible to help efforts to monitor and control the disease.

This can be done by contacting the NPWS by Email (nature.conservation@chg.gov.ie.) or Phone (1890 383 000).

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[Jobi 387]

The antis would sooner see them die out from disease then accept people want to hunt them for sport. 

Edited August 9, 2019 by Jobi

[micky 3,325]

We  had it on all our land in Leicestershire it wiped them out where I could get as many as I wanted there was nothing  three years later they are back in harvestable numbers .

[Bobtheferret 1,248]

RVHD2 has been in England for close to 10 years and RVHD for nearly 30 years it’s bad but as Micky said they seem to recover and develop immunity. In Australia it only took approximately 15 years from release to the point that it was of negligible affect on them so hopefully it’s not curtains for the humble rabbit due to RVHD! I fear it won’t be the last non natural disease introduced to try to end the poor coney! The rabbit is a born survivor though so hopefully will always been around. 

Edited August 9, 2019 by Bobtheferret

[Dinosaurs 2,101]

I heard that they have released RHD 5 in oz?? Also read it was developed in Korea? Maybe Aussie Whipp can confirm. Atb 

[EDDIE B 3,166]

This is a complete farce. This virus has been in Ireland for at least seven or eight years. So what is this all about then? Some smart arse using it as a means to get their way, that's what. How has it affected hare numbers in the UK? Doubt if it's doing that much damage. But low and behold, a rabbit has been found with the virus in Ireland, and their stopping the coursing of hares. 

Edited August 10, 2019 by EDDIE B

[Greyman 28,715]

1 hour ago, EDDIE B said:

This is a complete farce. This virus has been in Ireland for at least seven or eight years. So what is this all about then? Some smart arse using it as a means to get their way, that's what. How has it affected hare numbers in the UK? Doubt if it's doing that much damage. But low and behold, a rabbit has been found with the virus in Ireland, and their stopping the coursing of hares. 

Man trying to play god again mate, I would say from my own observations, that badger numbers in my area have had a huge effect on hare numbers, have also noticed strangely that there seem to be lots more rabbits and hares living in woodland environments rather than grassland  over the last 2/3 years and wonder if this is a natural response to burrows being infected etc ,some of my cams have picked up good numbers of hare and rabbit but all in heavy woodland instead of open pasture,

[Jobi 387]

14 minutes ago, Greyman said:

Man trying to play god again mate, I would say from my own observations, that badger numbers in my area have had a huge effect on hare numbers, have also noticed strangely that there seem to be lots more rabbits and hares living in woodland environments rather than grassland  over the last 2/3 years and wonder if this is a natural response to burrows being infected etc ,some of my cams have picked up good numbers of hare and rabbit but all in heavy woodland instead of open pasture,

You sure about that, it doesn't take a leveret a long time to be able to evade the pursuits of a badger. I bet we are talking days if that? 

[C.green 3,231]

36 minutes ago, Jobi said:

You sure about that, it doesn't take a leveret a long time to be able to evade the pursuits of a badger. I bet we are talking days if that? 

You ever seen a couple day old leveret ?

[Jobi 387]

10 minutes ago, C.green said:

You ever seen a couple day old leveret ?

Never reared any so can't say I've seen them that young, I can't see it being long though until they're capable enough to evade a badger. 

Edited August 10, 2019 by Jobi

[C.green 3,231]

3 minutes ago, Jobi said:

Never reared any so can't say I've seen them that young, I can't see it being long though until they're capable enough to evade a badger. 

Never reared one myself but seen a few heres one a friend found in a funny place just in a scrape easily picked up. Easy picking for magpies foxes and badgers id say.

[Jobi 387]

26 minutes ago, C.green said:

Never reared one myself but seen a few heres one a friend found in a funny place just in a scrape easily picked up. Easy picking for magpies foxes and badgers id say.

Yeah that's very underdeveloped, it doesn't take long though before they get their wits and speed about them. 

You sure that's not a rabbit? 

Edited August 10, 2019 by Jobi

[C.green 3,231]

And dosnt take long to cone a cropper. Even the older leverets easy killed by stuff. People that think kites buzzards foxes and badgers do no harm to hare numbers are wrong. 

[Greyman 28,715]

2 minutes ago, Jobi said:

Yeah that's very underdeveloped, it doesn't take long though before they get their wits and speed about them. 

They are born naked and blind in the open, it takes one night for a badger to find and eat them, all other animals start to suffer in areas with large populations of badgers, not just hares but hedgehogs, rabbits and all ground nesting birds,  areas near me I could see dozens of hares out at night are now just alive with badgers and very little else

[Jobi 387]

1 minute ago, Greyman said:

They are born naked and blind in the open, it takes one night for a badger to find and eat them, all other animals start to suffer in areas with large populations of badgers, not just hares but hedgehogs, rabbits and all ground nesting birds,  areas near me I could see dozens of hares out at night are now just alive with badgers and very little else

You sure pal? I've always thought they are born with their eyes open and with sight.