Meat production, produce, wild life……

Jackrabbits Dying of Disease

Story at-a-glance

Ten black-tailed jackrabbits found dead near Palm Springs, California, were later tested and diagnosed with rabbit hemorrhagic disease, or RHD virus type 2, generally discovered only after it’s proved fatal to wild rabbits

Both wild and domestic rabbits have succumbed to RHD in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Mexico, and it’s spreading quickly

Wildlife officials say the disease has no impact on humans, livestock or other domestic animals, but the death of so many rabbits in the wild may affect ecological balance

People spending time in areas where wild rabbits have been found with RHD should wash their clothing afterward and disinfect footwear and equipment before traveling to new areas or interacting with domestic rabbits

Anyone finding a dead rabbit should contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) immediately

With its odd, long ears and even longer legs, the black-tailed jackrabbit is a curious sight for those who’ve never seen one. Common in most states west of the Mississippi and generally in more southern states, it’s one of several rabbit species.

But the chance of seeing this type of rabbit — in photos, at least — is greater since in late February 2020, a jackrabbit carcass was found. In fact, a total of 10 carcasses were found in the same area. Diagnosed with rabbit hemorrhagic disease, or RHD virus type 2, the discovery near Palm Springs on private property was the first time the rabbit disease had been detected in California.

The diagnosis was made after samples were sent to a New York lab. Officials at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) say the disease is “highly contagious and often lethal,” according to USA Today’s Desert Sun.1

No other types of rabbits in California had been found to have the virus, but since March 2020, both wild and domestic rabbits have succumbed to RHD in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Mexico, and it’s spreading quickly.

In April, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD),2 working with the Arizona Department of Agriculture, detected the same disease in cottontail rabbits, black-tailed jackrabbits and domestic rabbits. There was also a sudden die-off in domestic rabbits in northeastern Arizona from RHD, according to AZGFD.

The main symptoms are internal bleeding and swelling. Pet rabbits may exhibit poor appetite, listlessness, fever and bloody nasal discharge, and later, “jaundice, respiratory distress, diarrhea, weight loss, bloating, and death.”3

moar:

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2020/06/30/rabbit-hemorrhagic-disease.aspx