RVHD Info (Europe and some Canada)

[Muchelle]

As requested, I’ll sum up what’s the status of the vaccinal plan(s) in Europe. As many of you already know, a new version of Rabbit Hemorragic Disease Virus has been breaking havoc in Europe, especially in northern countries. As for Italy, the new vaccine has been approved for veterinary use in January 2018 and soon after guidelines have been written. I will report this information and point out differences with other EU protocols I have found.

– – – – – – –

Which vaccines are available?

Most used at this time:

• Nobivac Myxo-RHD: against Myxomatosis & RHDV1, coverage 1 year;
• Filavac: against RHDV1 and RHDV2, coverage 1 year;

Other vaccines:

• Eravac: against RHDV2, coverage 6 months;
• Cunipravac: against RHDV2, coverage 6 months; 
• Cunivax Mixoma: against Myxomatosis, coverage 6 months;
• Cunivak RHD: against RHDV1, coverage 1 year;

– – – – – – –

What is changing in our vaccinal plans?

The changes depend on what medicines have been approved in your country and how high is the risk in your area. As you can read, there can be different choices to keep the buns immunized. In the Italian guidelines I have found that the recommended one is Nobivac + Filavac, that are both at low risk for side effects and guarantee only 2 vet appointments per year.

When Filavac was not readily available, it was recommended to combine Nobivac & Eravac (3 appointments/year since Eravac has a semestral coverage). It is now not recommended to use Eravac as a first drug choice in dwarf rabbits because it contains a mineral oil as a base, which has a medium risk for side effects and can cause abscesses in the site of injection. It is also not recommended for nursing or pregnant does. 

– – – – – – –

When to schedule the second appointment?

• The two vaccines mustn’t be done on the same day;
• The minimum wait time is around 2 weeks between the two shots;
• In high risk areas it’s recommended to do the two vaccines in the shortest span of time, possibly to repeat the RHDV2 one extra time for perfect coverage; UK guidelines recommend the 2 weeks waiting time, but I haven’t found detailed indications for the second RHDV2 shot;
• In low risk areas it’s recommended to let 6 months pass between the two shots to guarantee a semestral routine health check on the bunny. 

– – – – – – –

Is it dangerous to vaccinate two times my rabbit for RHVD1 (Nobivac+Filavac)?

It is not dangerous. The virus contained in these vaccines is not vital, so it can’t, for example, become activated.

My vet (who contributed writing the italian guideline together with Kuro’s second surgeon) told me that he pushed for the 6 months distance between shots to prevent an hypotetical side effect of the two vaccines interacting and lowering their coverage, but he remarked that in more than one year of experimentation it never happened. He told me he just wants to be extra precautios, given that central Italy is not an high risk area.

– – – – – – – –

Situation in CANADA:

– Confirmed that there is a RHVD2 outbreak amongst the wild rabbit population;

– Seems that the procedures to import Filavac are being started;

– – – – – – – –

Post Scriptum

I have gathered and perfectioned this information from a deep dive down the rabbit hole with Bam. If anyone has other information specific to their country please drop me a comment or a PM and I will add it to this topic. 

[Sirius&Luna]

So useful, thank you Muchelle.

As I said, Luna is in for her top up on Saturday, so I’ll see if I can get any extra useful information about the UK from the vet, but I think you’ve covered everything!

It does seem weird that they get the double RVHD1 vaccination… I wonder why they haven’t done something about that.

[Muchelle]

My guess is that they first might have pushed out the Eravac to cover meat rabbits (that would need only one dose ever) and then threw out a commercial formula for pets, but I’m just speculating. I’ll go down the hole again later to read the medical bits of both drugs.

[Sirius&Luna]

No, sorry, I mean that RHDV1 is in both filavac and nobivac – you’d think they would make one for pets where they only need to have RHDV1 in only one of those, rather than getting a double dose.

[Muchelle]

Yes, that’s what baffles me as well. I didn’t write it clearly but my guess was that they just put together 1 and 2, thinking that there’s already stuff for myxo. Too bad that most used vaccine is Nobivac, so I don’t think myxo only vaccines will be any popular

[Bam]

Thank you so much, Muchelle!

Before the Nobivac myxo/RHD1 vaccine came, myxo and RVHD had to be given separately, myxo then every six months, RVHD once per year. The Myxo vaccine used here was Cunivak Myxo SC, the RVHD vaccine then used was Cunivak RHD. This wasn’t very long ago, so I’m reading from Bam’s vaccination card. The Nobivac double vaccine only came here in 2014, but a year or so (at least) earlier in the UK. The double vaccine quickly became very popular because it only needs to be given once per year and it’s easier to inject than the old Cunivak myxo. Back then, the new strain of RVHD wasn’t yet a thing.

In the spring of 2016, it had become evident that domesticated rabbits were dying from a newer RVHD strain, and vaccines were being made, first in Spain and France, most likely because rabbits are commercially very important in those two countries (sorry for mentioning this, but at least it means there’s money to be made from making a vaccine, if the demand was only from pet owners, it’s doubtful if a vaccine would have been considered commercially viable). Vet clinics in other parts of Europe had to apply for licenses to import the vaccines. The vaccines were in short supply. You had to queu for it.

Bam was first vaccinated with Cunipravak, the mineral-oil based vSpanish vaccine in October 2016. It was the only availble RVHD2 vaccine here then. Since then he’s had Filavac every 6 months. Last spring he had the Nobivac myxo/RVHD2 in early April and the Filavac in late April, 3 weeks apart.

Filavac comes in single-dose vials, Cunipravak comes in larger vials suitable for herd vaccinations. 

[Muchelle]

Bam, thanks for this bit of history! I will seek info and add the Cunipravac to the list, I feel it would be good if people can read the name and some info also if it’s an “outdated” drug for pet rabbits.

I’m reading that it has just been approved also a multidose (up to 200) version of Filavac. Hopefully also meat rabbits can be switched to that, rather than the oil based versions.

[Vienna Blue in France]

My two were vaccinated with Filavac in 2016 V2 and I was told it covered only for six months….

[Muchelle]

Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 3/01/2018 7:00 AM

My two were vaccinated with Filavac in 2016 V2 and I was told it covered only for six months….

Are you in a high risk area? :/ Cause then it would be understandable, otherwise I have no idea why they would say that. 

(unless the earlier versions of Filavac were less durable? Do you still have the sticker with the exact name of the drug?)

[Bam]

My vet too says every 6 months for Filavac. I’m in a high risk area. For low risk areas once per year is recommended.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I really have no knowldge of this whatsoever. A few days ago, it was announced that a virus is killing rabbits in BC, Canada. Is this the same thing you guys are talking about?

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/…-1.3826986

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti…d-1.456058

It’s way on the other side of the country but still very sad and concerning. What a horrible thing for bunny lovers to have to deal with. I’ve never heard of this in North America before. And there is no vaccine here. 

[Muchelle]

Yes, it seems like cases of Calcivirus (that I’m reading is from the same family of RHDV). They don’t say whether it’s RHDV specifically, but I think you can privately import the vaccines from the UK either by yourself or through your vet in case things go bad.

These are viruses carried by mosquitoes and other bitey bugs, other than direct contact… so if you’re in a cold area you should have less possible vectors.
(I’ll damn send it to you personally if you’ll ever need it <3 )

I’m reading that in the US there has been plenty of cases ever since 2000, just very limited to specific areas and probably soon extinguished.

[Bam]

I changed the name of this thread (added Canada). In LPT’s article they say the outbreak will probably be over in 2 weeks. That makes me think this is RVHD1, because it has a much higher mortality rate than RVHD2 and it kills faster.

The Vancouver Island outbreak is among feral rabbits, that means rabbits of the same species as our domesticated buns, the European rabbit, oryctolagus cuniculus. The diseases don’t seem to affect cottontail rabbits at all as much, which is a very good thing, because it is because wild rabbits form a huge reservoir of the viruses in Europe that makes them very hard to contain.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Thanks for the info, guys.

There are people on my bunny FB groups saying this is “airborne”? That doesn’t sound right, so assuming it’s not and just as Muchelle mentions, due to insects. But it still too cold in most (if not all) Canada right now. Can’t imagine the mosquitoes would be out yet.

[Muchelle]

No, it’s definitely not airborne, don’t worry: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3331820/

I quote: “The possible routes for transmission of the disease are the oral, nasal, conjunctival and parenteral, as blood-feeding insects have also been shown to be efficient mechanical vectors […] Transmission of RHDV may occur through direct contact with an infected animal, since infected rabbits may shed viral particles in their secretions and excretions, or indirectly by means of fomites-contaminated food, bedding, water, clothing, cages and equipment-or vector-borne transmission by scavenging mammals, birds and insects […] In natural infections, the faecal-oral route is considered the preferential mode of transmission”

[jerseygirl]

Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 3/04/2018 3:37 PM

I really have no knowldge of this whatsoever. A few days ago, it was announced that a virus is killing rabbits in BC, Canada. Is this the same thing you guys are talking about?

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/…-1.3826986

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti…d-1.456058

It’s way on the other side of the country but still very sad and concerning. What a horrible thing for bunny lovers to have to deal with. I’ve never heard of this in North America before. And there is no vaccine here. 

Oh wow. I’d missed this. I actually did a search several weeks ago to see if there were case of RHVD in Canada. I didn’t come across this.  If it is confirmed it’s the virus, I would think it would be reported on some of the government sites.

At places like this where there is a feral population of domestics, I get suspicious that there could have been baiting. 

[Bam]

The viruses are not airborne. The fecal-oral route is the most common route of infection. It seems to be worst during the cold season. The RVHD outbreaks tend to occur in winter/early spring, Myxo in August-September. The RVHD viruses withstand cold extremely well, so minus degrees won’t stop it. It is also pretty heat resistant and can survive 50 degrees C for an hour.

The virus can travel with birds, probably in their poop. We had a case here last winter on a small isolated island where noone lives. Tourists come in the summer, it’s a nature preserve, but this was during the winter. A dead hare was found by wild life preservers (don’t know exact term but you probably know what I mean) that patrol the area. It was sent to the National Veterinary Institute for testing. Tests came back as RVHD2. There are no rabbits on that island so they (rather obviously) didn’t find any dead rabbits.

Here’s some info from British rabbit vet Frances Harcourt-Brown: http://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/owners/frequently-asked-questions/FAQRHD

[LittlePuffyTail]

I agree Jersey, it seems suspicious. And I’ve yet to read an article that mentions the actual name of the virus.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Updated article on Nanaimo area.

https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/new…recovered/

[Muchelle]

Horrible update, but it seems like they’re going to (FINALLY) import the vaccines. Keeping fingers crossed

[papabun]

Hi All, first time posting here.
My vet has confirmed (via provincial labs and authorities) that the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus spreading in the lower mainland of BC, Canada is indeed RHDV-2. The process for the vet to get the vaccine is going to start, but there is lots of red tape to go through before the vaccine can be imported into Canada.

Couples of question for everyone
1. Is the vaccine complete protection? I.e. can bunnies get the disease even after vaccination?
2. What are people doing to prevent your bunnies from being affected before being vaccinated?

link here
https://www.facebook.com/capitolhillanimalhospital/

[edited by forum leader to add link to FB post]

[Muchelle]

Hello, welcome and thanks! I have updated the main topic with the new info

As for the questions:
– No vaccine gives 100% proof coverage, but it certainly provides a very high protection and, in the case the disease is contracted, it should be a mild, non mortal affection (much like human’s vaccine for meningitis or chickenpox). For a house rabbit that has little contact with the outside, the vaccine should cover it fine.

– Prevention is hygiene (keep the house clean, wash vegetables, wash grass taken from outside if you feed it, etc), insect control (mosquitoes and ticks in particular), antiflea treatment in case the bun is allowed outside or is in contact with other pets allowed outside. Do keep in mind that it takes a few days for the vaccine to be in effect, so the full coverage starts in about 10 days after the shot.

As I said, the risk to be infected for a bunny that’s 100% house bound is low. Personally I’m vaccinating + doing antiflea mainly because Italy has an endemic mosquito problem all months of the year. In colder regions you are probably advantaged cause insects have to die out for at least the very cold months…

[LittlePuffyTail]

Thanks for the info, Papabun.

[Bam]

Thank you, papabun!

I have just been with bam for his vaccination, guidelines have been changed so now it’s possible to give both the Nobivac myxo/RHVD1 shot and the Filavac (RVHD2) shot on the same occasion. (Old recommendations were a waiting period of two weeks between the double vaccine and the filavac). So Bam had two jabs. His vet says they’re working on a triple vaccine, but it might take some time yet. The recommendation here (=high risk area, lots of wild rabbits) is still Filavac every 6 months, the myxo-RVHD1 once per year.

Hopefully Bam will cope well with having had both jabs on the same day.

No vaccines give 100% coverage. There will always be a certain percentage of individuals that don’t make the antibodies the vaccine is aiming to trigger the production of. This is why herd immunity is so important, because the less amount of virus there is going around, the smaller the chance of a sensitive rabbit being exposed to it. (The same obviously goes for humans with regards to human vaccinations.)

[Sirius&Luna]

Ooh, I’m interested to hear that they’re doing both at once now. All my bunnies get their vaccinations in different months, so just vaccinations alone now mean 6 vet visits for them. It would be great if we could get that down to 3. Atlas is the next one due in June, so I’ll ask about doing both.

[Bam]

S&L, it’s so much more practical! 6 yearly vet visits just for vaccinations is a lot =)

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’ve been seeing some updates on FB about the situation in BC. It’s been slowly spreading. Most of the rescues have closed intake and some are not even allowing visitors. The vaccines can be ordered by vets and there are rescues fundraising to get all the bunnies vaccinated as it’s very expensive to import.

[Bam]

I saw this on facebook just now:
http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/deadly-rabbit-virus-reaches-animal-shelter-in-richmond

[LittlePuffyTail]

Saw this yesterday. Absolutely heartbreaking….imaging the poor staff having to deal with this.

[Author]

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