Rabbit jaundice, or RHDV virus, affects the liver function of rabbits and hares and in most cases leads to the death of the animal within 36 hours.
At Årsta 4H farm in Uppsala, several rabbits that were rented out during the summer have died as a result of the virus.
Which UNT was the first to report on.
- We sent the rabbits to SVA and it turned out that it was rabbit jaundice, says Sandra Magnusson, farm assistant at Årsta 4H farm.
The virus, which is only transmitted between rabbits, can survive on clothing and objects for a month.
- We have had the rabbits in quarantine for three weeks, so it feels like a milestone right now.
The virus can remain for a long time
What can be done to prevent one's own rabbit from becoming infected with the virus?
- The best thing you can do is vaccinate your rabbit, says Sandra Magnusson, farm assistant at Årsta 4H farm.
The question of possibly vaccinating the Yearling Rabbits is now on the table at the business.
Until a decision is made there, you wait out the quarantine.
The hope is that the rabbits can soon be released from their isolation - after it has been ensured that no one is infected, and that there is no virus left on the premises.
This is because the virus can remain on surfaces for a long time, without contact with host animals.