Deadly rabbit disease is sweeping the UK

RVHD2 is a fatal disease that can kill rabbits within hours, with many rabbits displaying no symptoms until it's too late. Vaccination is the safest and most effective way to protect rabbits against RVHD2 and a variety of other diseases. British experts stress that not enough rabbits in the UK are protected. Obviously they are right, because research from the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) report 2018 showed 49 per cent of rabbits in UK homes have not received a primary course of vaccinations when young. This means that almost half a million rabbits in the UK could be at risk from a variety of potentially fatal diseases.
Rabbits who have previously been vaccinated against RHDV only will not be protected against this strain of RVHD2, so return visits to vets are being encouraged - even for rabbits which have received a primary course of vaccinations when they were young, as boosters are needed to ensure immunity.
Alex Thorne at Burgess Pet Care, one of the leading suppliers of products for small mammals, explains the importance of vaccination: "RVHD2 is a relatively new disease, which is massively on the rise in the UK. The Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) partners have already received calls and visits from distraught owners who've lost their rabbits to RVHD2. It's possible that even rabbits that have been vaccinated in the past aren't protected against this new disease. For any owners seeking reassurance, we would strongly recommend that they contact their vets."

"We're calling on the support of veterinary practices, owners, manufacturers and retailers across the UK to help spread this message to as many people as possible," says Dr Richard Saunders. He is one of the UK's leading rabbit experts, who helps guide the welfare and health strategy of the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF). He was responsible for getting the vaccine for RHDV2 into the UK following its initial outbreak, helping to save the lives of an estimated 70 000 rabbits. 

Saunders explains that as well as protecting against RHDV2, there are other diseases that rabbit owners must look out for: "There are three fatal viral diseases of rabbits which can be vaccinated against. Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic disease 1 and 2, which kill a…