The highly contagious and deadly infection RHDV-2 is rampant among wild populations of the animal. In the second half of this year, the Dutch Wildlife Health Center (DWHC) received four to six reports per month of dead rabbits. According to DWHC, per report there were 2 to 25 animals found dead. The center recommends vaccinating kept rabbits.
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, RHDV-2, is a variant of the classic RHD virus known to be a pathogen among rabbits. RHDV-2 first appeared in the Netherlands in 2015. The virus has not been gone since then, but this year there are many victims. Reports came to DWHC from all over the country, including Amstelveen, Hof van Twente and Gelderland. Fourteen dead rabbits from eight different locations were examined in the laboratory. Nine animals were found to be infected with RDHV-2.