Rabbit hemorrhagic disease spreads fast and has a high mortality rate; strict prevention is essential when raising rabbits in winter

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease

    Rabbit hemorrhagic disease is an acute, highly virulent infectious disease caused by a virus. It strikes ferociously and spreads quickly, with a short course of illness and high morbidity and mortality rates, making it one of the major diseases harming the rabbit-raising industry.

    Rabbit hemorrhagic disease occurs frequently in winter and spring, and sick rabbits, latently infected rabbits and subhealthy rabbits are all major sources of transmission. For young adult rabbits over 3 months of age, the morbidity and mortality rates are as high as 100%, while young rabbits have a lower morbidity rate but a high mortality rate, and nursing rabbits rarely fall ill.

    Rabbit raising should adhere to the principle of prevention first with treatment as a supplement, strive for self-breeding and self-raising, avoid buying from epidemic areas when introducing breeding stock, and after introduction must isolate and observe for one month. Regularly carry out whole-farm disinfection of sites, cages and equipment, and ensure that the rabbit herd is vaccinated against rabbit hemorrhagic disease.

    For weaned young rabbits, the first vaccination with monovalent rabbit hemorrhagic disease vaccine is given at 35-40 days of age, with 2 ml injected subcutaneously in the neck of each rabbit; at 60-65 days of age, a bivalent vaccine is used for a second injection of 1-1.5 ml, and thereafter an injection is given once every half year.

    When rabbit hemorrhagic disease occurs in a rabbit herd, the unaffected rabbits in the same group should first be given emergency vaccination with anti-rabbit hemorrhagic disease serum, which can bring the development of the epidemic under control within 24 hours. If no anti-rabbit hemorrhagic disease serum is available locally, a double dose of monovalent rabbit hemorrhagic disease vaccine can be injected, which can effectively control the spread of the disease. Dead rabbits must be subjected to harmless disposal.

    Sites where rabbit hemorrhagic disease has occurred, as well as contaminated cages, feed and water troughs and the surrounding environment, must be strictly disinfected. Disinfectants that can be used include 3% caustic soda, 20%-30% bleaching powder, 2% formalin, 3% peracetic acid, etc. If the outbreak in the rabbit herd is severe, the method of disposing of all the rabbits may be adopted, and raising can resume only after disinfection has been carried out for half a year.