Rabbit owners in the UK are being warned that burying dead pet rabbits in gardens may be helping to spread a deadly virus. The practice, often a consoling childhood ritual, could facilitate the circulation of rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease (RVHD2), which causes death by internal bleeding.
First reported in the UK in 2013, RVHD2 has since spread among wild rabbits and hares. Infected rabbits often show no symptoms, but signs can include fever, lethargy and coma. The virus can be carried by birds, their droppings, shoes, car tyres, other pets, and even be airborne.
Vet Richard Saunders told the Guardian: “It is everywhere. The virus is extremely good at surviving in the environment, up to eight months in ideal conditions... It is killing pet rabbits all over the UK.” Few pet rabbits are taken to the vet after death, making it hard to gauge infection rates. Garden burials prevent examination and, if done incorrectly, allow the virus to transmit, especially if the body is dug up by predators.
Experts advise owners to have rabbits cremated or, if burying them, to wrap them in plastic to reduce risk. Vaccination is also recommended; only about 14% of an estimated 1 million domestic rabbits in the UK are immunised. A Defra spokesperson said: “Owners worried about their pet rabbits should speak to their vets for advice because a vaccine is available.”
