Carrier Status and Quarantines
Marguerite Wegner, of Rabbit Information Service, has sent news regarding a website that focuses on biocontrol news and information to the Coalition.The following paragraph is taken from that site. The paper is titled Mammal Biocontrol: the Hunt Continues, authorship is not given nor are there any references to specific scentific literature. The entire article can be read Here.
There is evidence that seropositive rabbits can retain virus in their tissues. Thus it is possible that infected survivors may remain infectious, and so the possibility exists that the high prevalence across age cohorts noted above might be due to some form of longitudinal transmission of immunity from mother to young rabbits.
The article does not state how long rabbits can retain the virus in their tissues, however it infers that the carrier period may be quite extensive. We do know that rabbits do not reliably seroconvert for three weeks after infection. This causes additional concern regarding the importation of rabbits from countries where RHD is endemic. It is also scary information considering advice given by some educators that rabbits who may have been exposed should be quarantined for only two weeks. Even without the above information, it has always been considered to be carried for four to eight weeks. The Coalition strongly urges rabbit caretakers to quarantine new rabbits for at least four weeks.
We would also like to remind California residents that a campaign is currently underway to contact the State Veterinarian and State Legislators asking that;
1. A ban be placed on rabbits and products derived from rabbits and hares from countries where RHD and European Brown Hare Virus are endemic.
2. That many rabbits in California are companion animals and should not be treated as livestock.
3. That rabbits and other animals in California be tested for Caliciviruses to ascertain what the baseline level of antibodies to Caliciviruses are prior to RHD infection.
An easy place to get that letter sent out can be found here on our site at Send A Letter
--Bertrand Russell 1872 - 1970
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