FORT NELSON, B.C. - Provincial animal health officials have confirmed rabbit hemorrhagic disease as the cause of at least one death in a wild rabbit die-off that has affected the Fort Nelson area since late September.
According to a disease alert issued by the B.C. Animal Health Centre, more than 40 dead rabbits have been found along roadsides, trails, and in residential neighbourhoods in and around Fort Nelson.
A snowshoe hare examined by a veterinary pathologist tested positive for rabbit hemorrhagic disease, also known as RHD.
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease is a highly contagious and often fatal viral illness that affects rabbits and hares.
While feral and domestic European rabbits are most commonly impacted, native wild rabbit species can also become infected. Officials say there is no known risk to human health.
Animals infected with the virus typically become sick within one to five days.
Symptoms can include fever, loss of appetite, breathing difficulties, neurological problems such as difficulty walking or seizures, and bleeding from the nose.
In some cases, infected animals die suddenly without showing any signs of illness. There is currently no treatment for the disease.
The virus spreads through contact with infected rabbits or their saliva, nasal secretions, urine, and feces.
It can also be transmitted indirectly through contaminated objects or by people who have handled infected animals.
Provincial officials are advising domestic rabbit owners to strengthen biosecurity measures and report suspicious illnesses or deaths to their veterinarian.
A vaccine against rabbit hemorrhagic disease is available in Canada for domestic rabbits.
The current outbreak follows a major outbreak of rabbit hemorrhagic disease in southwestern B.C. in 2018. Since then, cases have been reported sporadically across the province.
The B.C. Animal Health Centre is continuing to monitor the situation in the Fort Nelson area.