Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Resolution of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2; Lagovirus europeus GI.2) outbreak in Singapore.
- Journal:
- Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- K. Lim et al.
- Species:
- rabbit
Plain-English summary
In Singapore, a serious viral disease called rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) affected pet European rabbits starting in September 2020. By December 2020, officials announced that the outbreak was resolved. Investigations showed that the virus likely spread between households and from veterinary clinics to homes, but the exact source of the outbreak was not clear. This situation highlighted the need for strong safety measures to prevent disease spread and the importance of communication between veterinarians and rabbit owners. Overall, the outbreak was successfully contained and resolved.
Abstract
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting lagomorphs. The first documented cases of RHD in Singapore occurred in adult pet European rabbits in September 2020. Singapore subsequently declared the outbreak resolved in December 2020. Epidemiological investigations ruled out introductions via importation of infected rabbits and contaminated feed. The source could not be definitively determined. However, the findings suggested that the incident involved both inter- and intra-household transmission and veterinary clinic-household transmission. This incident demonstrated the importance of sustained application of biosecurity measures, epidemiological investigations including active case finding, control measures such as expedient vaccine dissemination, and risk communications. It showed that even without a wild lagomorph population, an urbanised city-state like Singapore could still encounter emerging diseases such as RHD. Given its social impact on rabbit owners, the National Parks Board, Singapore and private veterinarians worked together to communicate with rabbit owners in order to urge them to adopt biosecurity measures and to address their concerns. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/34480780