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, April 26, 2024 – RHDV was detected in domestic rabbits in Santa Barbara County on April 6, 2024, Los Angeles County on April 14, 2024, and San Diego County on April 25, 2024. It was previously detected in a domestic rabbit in San Mateo County on February 23, 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
0
yes
October 18 2022 (feral domestic)
Butte
Colusa
Fresno
Glenn
Inyo
Kern
6
June 29, 2021 (domestic)
Los Angeles
19
April 14, 2024 (domestic)
Marin
Mendocino
Mono
Napa
Orange
June 2020 (wild)
Riverside
16
June 23 2022 (domestic), June 2022 (wild)
Sacramento
February 28 2023 (domestic), December 2022 (wild)
San Benito
San Bernardino
5
March 17, 2021 (domestic); May 2021 (wild)
San Diego
7
April 25, 2024 (domestic); June 2022 (wild)
San Luis Obispo
3
June 3, 2022 (domestic), June 2022 (wild)
San Mateo
Santa Barbara
Santa Clara
Solano
Sonoma
1
no
August 19, 2021 (domestic)
Stanislaus
Ventura
May 7, 2021 (feral domestic)
Yolo
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.