Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD)
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.
