First case of highly contagious virus that kills rabbits found in SC. What to know

An often-fatal, highly-contagious viral disease in rabbits has been found in Greenville County and state animal health officers are working to contain it.

Before now, it has largely been found in wild rabbits in western states and in domestic rabbits in several southeastern states.

The disease is called Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Type-2, known as RHDV2. Feral rabbits found dead at a homestead in Greenville County alerted authorities to the presence of the virus, which has no cure.

The fatality rate is 70%, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA said the first case was seen in a pet rabbit in New York City in February 2020. The next month it was found in New Mexico and soon was in five western states.

It can spread between feral and domesticated rabbits by contact with feces and carcasses of infected rabbits and by people who might have it on clothes or shoes. People cannot catch it.

“Our goal at this point is to do what we can to prevent the virus from spreading into the wild rabbit population and potentially further infecting domesticated rabbits,” Michael Neault, state veterinarian and director of Clemson University Livestock Poultry Health, said in a news release.

Signs an animal might have contracted it include sudden death, anorexia, lethargy, conjunctivitis, respiratory signs and bloodstained noses or mouths.

“The introduction of RHDV2 to wild rabbits in South Carolina poses a serious threat to wild populations and has contributed to significant mortality events in the western United States,” Will Dillman, assistant chief of wildlife for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, said in the news release.