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VHD Outbreaks 2014

VHD Outbreak - 2015

RWAF have announced a potential outbreak of VHD in Marske Cleveland on their facebook page today (23/02/15).

IMPORTANT: POSSIBLE VHD OUTBREAK IN MARSKE, CLEVELAND. Awaiting post-mortem results. Please ensure you keep your rabbits' vaccinations up to date. Annual vaccination is necessary to help to protect against VHD and Myxomatosis
Thanks to Sophia Alexandra Woodings for letting us know
 
RWAF have announced a potential outbreak of VHD in Marske Cleveland on their facebook page today (23/02/15).

IMPORTANT: POSSIBLE VHD OUTBREAK IN MARSKE, CLEVELAND. Awaiting post-mortem results. Please ensure you keep your rabbits' vaccinations up to date. Annual vaccination is necessary to help to protect against VHD and Myxomatosis
Thanks to Sophia Alexandra Woodings for letting us know

Hoping it isn't VHD. :( Bit too close to home for my liking.
 
Gunnislake, south east Cornwall, we've had a report from somebody who has found a recently dead wild rabbit with no obvious injuries but with blood coming from its mouth and nose.

RWAFVaccinationPoster_zpsb15a4b61.jpg
 
Copied from Facebook:
VHD warning - confirmed case in central harrogate
"pet home"

Hi, are you able to tell me where this was on FB please. I've heard a suggestion that the wild rabbit population in Harrogate is affected but nothing confirmed, I'm suspicious that it's the case near home too. I'm wanting to track any information I can find.
 
Vhd

Unfortunately this week both of my lovely Himalayan rabbits died within 24 hours of eachother. they had been in previously good health and displayed no symptoms until a few hours before death. There were no changes in their routine or care and neither had runny noses or any sign of anything amiss. It was all so swift. I rang the vet but they suggested a post mortem was not worthwhile. Since then, local shows in Devon and Cornwall have been cancelled due to VHD and I wondered if that is what my two had? The female suffered some spasms before death but I am unsure whether this is normal. Both were aged 2/3
I'm very upset by their loss.
Has anyone had experience of this horrible disease?
Thank you.:(
 
Unfortunately this week both of my lovely Himalayan rabbits died within 24 hours of eachother. they had been in previously good health and displayed no symptoms until a few hours before death. There were no changes in their routine or care and neither had runny noses or any sign of anything amiss. It was all so swift. I rang the vet but they suggested a post mortem was not worthwhile. Since then, local shows in Devon and Cornwall have been cancelled due to VHD and I wondered if that is what my two had? The female suffered some spasms before death but I am unsure whether this is normal. Both were aged 2/3
I'm very upset by their loss.
Has anyone had experience of this horrible disease?
Thank you.:(

How dreadful for you :cry: Unfortunately without a PM there is no way of saying for certain what caused the tragic loss of your two Rabbits. But the new strain of RHD(also known as 'VHD')- RHD2 is known to be active in the Devon/Cornwall area. Whilst the vaccine we currently have available-Nobivac Myxo-RHD offers protection for the initial strain of RHD it does not provide any protection against the new strain-RHD2. The latest information is that a Vaccine that will offer protection is unlikely to be available in the UK until the end of the year at the earliest.

This link contains up-to-date information about RHD/RHD2, you will need to Register to view the Webinar. Registration is free

http://therabbitvet.com/webinar/vhd-rhd-2-update-rabbit-haemorrhagic-disease

Again, I am very sorry for your recent losses :cry:
 
i'm so sorry - it is heartbreaking enough to experience one loss but 2 without warning is so, so unfair. From what I understand VHD2 can only be diagnosed at post mortem & even then it is difficult to do. From what i know of the disease itself it does take seemingly healthy rabbits with little / no warning & symptoms. It may have taken your rabbits :( i'm sorry you lost them through whatever cause.
 
Unfortunately this week both of my lovely Himalayan rabbits died within 24 hours of eachother. they had been in previously good health and displayed no symptoms until a few hours before death. There were no changes in their routine or care and neither had runny noses or any sign of anything amiss. It was all so swift. I rang the vet but they suggested a post mortem was not worthwhile. Since then, local shows in Devon and Cornwall have been cancelled due to VHD and I wondered if that is what my two had? The female suffered some spasms before death but I am unsure whether this is normal. Both were aged 2/3
I'm very upset by their loss.
Has anyone had experience of this horrible disease?
Thank you.:(

I am so very sorry for your losses :(

It's really impossible to say whether they died of VHD or not. It could have been something completely different so don't think your other rabbits (if you have any) are necessarily at risk - I really hope they aren't.
 
Thanks to all for the kind words. I don't have any other rabbits and feel a bit reluctant to get more until there is a proper vaccine available. Missing my pair very much, though.
 
Ipswich, Suffolk: someone I know has lost 4 bunnies since Friday, pm findings are consistent with vhd and clinical symptoms (i.e. Sudden death) more consistent with variant 1. Ipswich vet says they've seen 11 cases in the past 2 weeks, all unvaccinated buns. Currently in discussions to see whether any samples suitable for sending to lab for testing for rhd1/2.
 
Ipswich, Suffolk: someone I know has lost 4 bunnies since Friday, pm findings are consistent with vhd and clinical symptoms (i.e. Sudden death) more consistent with variant 1. Ipswich vet says they've seen 11 cases in the past 2 weeks, all unvaccinated buns. Currently in discussions to see whether any samples suitable for sending to lab for testing for rhd1/2.
Oh my goodness, that's only 30 minutes from me and the specialist vet that one of my bunnies is seeing for a broken leg is in Ipswich! I have asked my vet about a VHD2 vaccine and they said that they can't provide it yet because it's not authorised with them and that I'd have to travel about 2 hours away to get them vaccinated. (which I can't do as I can't drive) [emoji21]
 
I don't think anyone has rhd2 vacc at the moment :-( I spoke to the vet earlier, she has seen 13 cases in the past week. Samples have now been sent for analysis so we should know strain in a couple of weeks time. Her feeling is that the symptoms are more consistent with rhd1; in a way I hope that's the case as it is at least preventable in most instances.
 
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