Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD)

AETIOLOGY:

Calicivirus, a haemagglutinating RNA virus, very diffusible and stable in the environment.

TRANSMISSION:

• Direct: secretions and excretions.
   
• Indirect: fomites and vectors.

CLINICAL SIGNS: 

High mortality. Sudden death in its hyperacute form. Increased temperature and respiratory rate, and sometimes epistaxis and nervous disorders in the acute and subacute forms of the disease. 

LESIONS: 

Hepatic necrosis, congestion and haemorrhage in multiple organs: trachea, spleen, thymus and lungs.

DIAGNOSIS:

• Identification of the causative agent: HA, electron microscopy, sandwich ELISA, PCR and Western Blot. 
   
• Serology: IHA and ELISA.  

TREATMENT, PREVENTION AND CONTROL:

Biosecurity measures. Inactivated vaccines adjuvanted with mineral oil or aluminium hydroxide.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: 

• HARTCOURT-BROWN, F. (2002) Textbook of rabbit medicine. Ed. Butterworth Heinemann. ISBN 0 7506 4002 2.
• OSTERHAUS, A.D.M.E. (1994) Virus infections of rodents and lagomorphs. Ed. Elsevier. ROSELL, J.M. (2000) Enfermedades del conejo. Ed. Mundi-Prensa. ISBN 84-7114-907-9.