The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is asking residents of the Cowboy State to help report dead rabbits.
Wyoming lagomorphs (rabbits, hares, and pikas) are susceptible to rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2, which was first detected by Wyoming game and fish biologists in 2020.
The virus is a new strain of the original virus, which was first identified in 1984 in European domestic rabbits imported from Germany to China.
RHDV2 was first identified in France in 2010 and the first cases of the disease in North America were reported in Canada: Quebec in 2016 and British Columbia in 2018.
Following a couple of reports of domestic rabbits across the United States, wild rabbit cases came from the southwestern states in March 2020.
The spread of RHDV2 in North America has been sporadic but rapid, due in part to diseases spread through the domestic rabbit trade, according to Jessica Jennings-Gaines, a wildlife and wildlife disease specialist in Wyoming.
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All cases involving wild lagomorphs have occurred west of the Mississippi River, but cases involving domestic rabbits are not as predictable and cases have been found in 29 states, according to data by the RHD awareness team.
A rabbit sits in falling snow Thursday, May 18, 2017, during the Wyoming State High School Track and Field Championships at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper.
Alan Rogers, Star-Tribune
One possible reason for the rapid spread of the virus is its resilient nature and resistance to objects.
According to Jennings-Gaines, this “very resistant” disease can survive on objects for three to four months.
Objects on which the disease can persist include cages, bedding, food, wool, rabbit meat, clothing and shoes, and rabbits that survive the virus may shed it for 30 days or more. according the Cornell Wildlife Health Laboratory.
The most common forms of transmission include contact of rabbit-to-rabbit bodily secretions, such as saliva, urine, and feces. Oral transmission is the most common, but the virus can also
be infectious through the nasal and conjunctival routes.
The disease was identified in 20 rabbits in eight counties in 2024. Testing rabbits is key to monitoring the spread of the disease.
According to Jennings-Gaines, reported virus numbers generally increase in the spring when wild rabbits breed.
The first sign of RHDV2 infection in rabbits is dead animals, according a news release from Wyoming Game and Fish.
Domestic rabbits may develop fever and die suddenly between 12 and 36 hours after infection or may survive longer and develop symptoms including depression, anorexia, red eyes, or respiratory signs. according the Cornell Wildlife Health Laboratory.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department stated that an estimated 35% to 50% of infected wild rabbits succumb to the disease.
The department asks that people make note of the location and report it to Game and Fish by calling the Game and Fish Wildlife Health Lab at (307) 745-5865 or the nearest regional office, rather than touching or picking up dead wild rabbits.
“Any rabbit could become infected with the disease, it could be a rabbit that lives in your yard or one you see while walking,” Jennings-Gaines said. “Please report any dead rabbits you find.”
David Velázquez is a reporter for the Casper Star-Tribune and can be reached at 307-301-0506, or at david.velazquez@trib.com
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