The state government has issued a reminder for pet owners to make sure their rabbits are up to date with vaccinations.
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The warning comes ahead of the national release of a new strain of virus to control pest rabbits. RHDV1 K5 will be released at 150 sites across Victoria from March 1.
The virus works by destroying a benign form of the calicivirus which rabbits normally possess. Eligible landholders will receive a vial of the virus to be administered through bait.
Victoria’s acting chief veterinary officer Cameron Bell said the current calicivirus vaccine is expected to provide good protection for domestic rabbits against all strains of the RHDV1 virus, including the RHDV1 K5 strain.
However pet owners and rabbit breeders have expressed concern for domestic rabbits, arguing rabbits will still be vulnerable to infection without a vaccination specific to each strain of virus.
The Australian Veterinary Association has advised pet rabbit owners to minimise risk by:
- Preventing direct and indirect contact between domestic/pet and pest rabbits
- Avoiding cutting grass where pest rabbits may be foraging and feeding it to pet rabbits
- Protecting pet rabbits from insects to reduce the risks of introducing RHDV1 K5, this could include insect-proofing the hutch and keeping pet rabbits indoors
- Washing hands with warm soapy water between handling rabbits