Officials are urging rabbit owners to practice proper health and sanitary measures after a fatal disease affecting rabbits was confirmed in New York state. The state Department of Agriculture and Markets on Wednesday said it has confirmed a case of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 in a domestic rabbit in Montgomery County. RHDV2 is a highly contagious and fatal disease of domestic and wild rabbits that was first found in the United States in 2018. The following best practices are recommended:• Do not allow pet or wild rabbits to have contact with your rabbits or gain entry to the facility or home. Multiple wild rabbits found dead or wild rabbits with blood-stained noses should be reported to the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Wildlife Health Unit at (518) 478-2203, but wild rabbits found dead on the road do not need to be reported.

Source: CNN December 17, 2021 14:14 UTC