An East Maitland vet is urging rabbit owners to get their bunnies vaccinated ahead of the release of a deadly virus.
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The RHDV1K5 strain of calicivirus will be released across 200 sites in NSW from late February until early March.
The nation-wide release aims to manage the impact of pest rabbits on the environment and agriculture.
NSW Department of Primary Industries invasive species manager Quentin Hart said wild rabbits cost more than $200 million in lost agricultural production annually.
“[Rabbits] wreak havoc on the environment, with a direct impact on 304 threatened native plant and animal species,” Mr Hart said.
However domestic rabbits could also be affected by the virus if they have not been vaccinated.
Veterinarian Louise Trist said people should ensure their rabbit has been vaccinated with the Cylap vaccine in the last six months.
She said previous advice was to vaccinate every 12 months, but that had changed in light of the announcement that a new virus would be released.
The RSPCA has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the Cylap vaccine and wanted to see further trials to ensure its effectiveness before RHDV1K5 was released.
However, the animal welfare organisation still urged rabbit owners to have their rabbits vaccinated to protect them from the virus.
Dr Trist said RHDV1K5 was more virulent than strains of the calicivirus, as wild rabbits had grown immune to the previous strain.
She said she understood that feral rabbits created a lot of destruction to farms and the environment.
However Dr Trist said she would hate to see pets get sick because of it.
“It’s just sad for the animals,” she said.
It's just sad for the animals. A lot of people have rabbits.
- East Maitland vet Dr Louise Trist.
“A lot of people have [rabbits].”
East Maitland Vet Clinic is running two vaccination days ahead of the release of the virus, on Tuesday, February 28 and Thursday, March 2.
The DPI encourages rabbit vaccination, and has several other recommendations for rabbit owners ahead of the virus release.
They advise people to prevent direct and indirect contact between domestic and wild rabbits and insects.
The department also said people should keep their rabbits indoors and wash their hands with warm, soapy water between handling rabbits.
Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
