February 07, 2025 Update – New Detections of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in California

Disease has been detected in domestic and/or wild rabbits in twenty-seven California counties - it is considered endemic in those counties

CDFA taking limited regulatory action

SACRAMENTO, February 07, 2025 – RHDV was detected in domestic rabbits in Santa Cruz County on 5/22/2024, Riverside County on 6/19/2024, San Bernardino County on 7/16/2024, San Diego County on 7/31/2024, Alameda County on 7/26/2024, and Santa Clara County on 10/24/2024.

Medgene Labs (Brookings, SD) continues to offer their Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus serotype 2 (RHDV2) vaccine to California veterinarians under a USDA conditional license. This vaccine is a killed recombinant vaccine which is authorized as a two-dose initial series, with the second dose given 21 days after the first. Rabbit owners should contact their private veterinarian if they are interested in vaccination for RHD. Veterinarians may contact Medgene Labs at info@medgenelabs.com for information about obtaining RHD vaccine.”

 

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Detections in Domestic Rabbits in California 2020-2022

County

Affected
domestic properties

Detected in wild rabbits

Most recent confirmation

Alameda

1

yes

July 26, 2024 (domestic), June 2021 (wild)

Butte

 0 yes February 23, 2024 (wild)

Colusa

 0 yes November 2022 (wild)

Fresno

 1 no August 19, 2021 (domestic)

Glenn

 0 yes November 2022 (wild)

Inyo

 0 yes July 2022 (wild)

Kern

6

yes

June 29, 2021 (domestic)

Los Angeles

19

yes

April 14, 2024 (domestic)

Marin

 0 yes October 2022 (wild)

Mendocino

 1 no June 3, 2022 (domestic)

Mono

 0 yes July 2022 (wild)

Napa

 0 yes November 2022 (wild)

Orange

0

yes

June 2024 (wild)

Riverside

17

yes

June 19, 2024 (domestic), December 2024 (wild)

Sacramento

 1 yes

February 28 2023 (domestic), December 2022 (wild)

San Benito

 0 yes December 2021 (wild) 

San Bernardino

6

yes

July 16, 2024 (domestic), January 2025 (wild)

San Diego

8

yes

July 31, 2024 (domestic), June 2024 (wild)

San Luis Obispo

3

yes

June 3, 2022 (domestic), June 2022 (wild)

San Mateo

 1 no February 23, 2024 (domestic)

Santa Barbara

 1 no April 6, 2024 (domestic)

Santa Clara

 1 yes October 24, 2024 (domestic), February 2023 (wild)

Santa Cruz

 1 no May 22, 2024 (domestic)

Solano

 1 yes November 3 2022 (domestic), October 2022 (wild)

Sonoma

1

no

August 19, 2021 (domestic)

Stanislaus

 1 yes December 2024 (wild)

Ventura

5

no

May 7, 2021 (feral domestic)

Yolo

 0 yes October 2022 (wild)

Grand Total

68

 

 

RHDV2 is a serious and extremely contagious viral disease of rabbits. Morbidity and mortality rates are high in unvaccinated animals; in some groups of infected rabbits, most or all may die. The disease has been known to cause dramatic declines in some wild rabbit populations.

The disease has been detected in wild rabbits in most western states. CDFA considers the disease endemic to these areas, triggering limited regulatory action when domestic rabbits become infected, and focusing on assisting owners to protect their rabbits. Test-positive domestic rabbits are quarantined, and owners are provided information on how best to reduce spread of the virus. Restrictions on rabbits moving into California are still in effect.

Rabbit owners are urged to protect their animals by preventing contact with wild rabbits and jackrabbits, and if possible, keep domestic rabbits indoors in areas with known disease. House outdoor rabbits off the ground when possible. Owners are also asked to practice biosecurity to prevent accidentally spreading the RHDV2 virus to their rabbits. Avoid feeding hay grown or stored outdoors in areas where wild rabbits are affected. Apparently healthy rabbits can spread the disease, so rabbit owners should avoid direct or indirect contact between their animals and other rabbits.

Please report dead domestic rabbits to CDFA at 909-947-4462. Consult your private veterinarian if your domestic rabbit is sick. Report dead wild rabbits to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Laboratories/Wildlife-Health/Monitoring/Mortality-Report.