These days seeing four capital letters followed by a number is a bit disturbing — oh no, a disease or pandemic or some new variation of an existing disease. I’m sure we’ve all had our share of disease and pandemic news. I hesitate to even bring up RHDV2, but thankfully, this disease does not pose any risk to human health; however, it is a serious threat to wild and domestic rabbit populations. I bring the subject up because rabbit hunting is still a popular activity here in Pennsylvania, and the season is open until February 27. If you are a rabbit hunter or you own domestic rabbits, you should be aware of RHDV2.

First, a brief history. Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHDV1), the original form of the disease, is thought to have emerged in Europe in the 1970s or 80s. In 1984 a major outbreak in China killed 14 million domestic rabbits within nine months. RHDV2 is a new strain of the disease that was first detected in France in 2010 and has now been found in several states in the southwestern U.S. A likely reason for it showing up in the U.S. is that European rabbits are often sold in the United States as pets or for food or other products. The disease has been detected in domestic rabbits in Ohio and New York.

Naturally, there is great concern that RHDV2, a very resilient virus that can remain on the landscape for months and can survive freezing temperatures, could show up here in our state. The disease could spread and even wipe out wild rabbit and hare populations. Pennsylvania is actually home to not one but two cottontail species: the eastern cottontail and the rarer Appalachian cottontail. We also have a limited population of snowshoe hares in the northern portion of the state.

RHDV2 can be transmitted directly from rabbit to rabbit or indirectly through feces, urine, and blood-feeding insects. At this time, there is no treatment for the disease, so prevention is a key factor. The Game Commission, along with the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, will be working with other federal and state agencies, conservation groups, the media, and other interested groups in an effort to monitor and hopefully control the virus.

In the meantime, there are some things we as hunters can do to assist. If you find any wild rabbit or hare mortality involving two or more, don’t move them and report your findings to the nearest Game Commission office or by email through pgccomments@pa.gov using “RABBIT VIRUS DETECTION” in the subject field. Also, don’t trap and transfer rabbits or release wild rabbits from other locations. Also, don’t handle sick looking rabbits and report such cases to the Game Commission. You should also keep domestic rabbits and their waste from coming into contact with wild populations.

In the meantime, the Game Commission has started field studies, and they are trying to create a list of those who would be interested in assisting monitoring during the hunting season. If you would like to get involved, contact the commission at pgccomments@pa.gov and type “RABBIT VIRUS HELPER” in the subject field.