USA OUTBREAK
Spring 2020

 RHDV2 (Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease V2)  is a "highly contagious disease caused by a strain of the RHD virus that is infecting and killing domestic rabbits and wild rabbits."  (USDA)

RHDV1 was first seen in China in 1984 from rabbits imported from Germany.
It has since spread to many other countries with the RHDV2 virus strain finding its way into the U.S.A., first in Ohio 2018, then Washington 2019.

In the past month alone there have been confirmed RHDV2 cases
in both wild & domestic rabbits in the Southwest including: 
    Arizona          Nevada
    California       New Mexico
    Colorado       Texas
 

While the rest of the world is understandably focused on COVID19, veterinarians, organizations and rabbit owners have been increasingly busy networking, planning and beginning to mobilize to "prevent the preventable."   

As an analogy, once the barn door is open and the virus takes hold in the wild population, it will be nearly impossible to close the door again.Because there is no USDA-approved vaccine, pet owners, breeders, vets and rescue groups are scrambling to get federal and state approval that would allow veterinarians to purchase and import vaccines from France or Spain. 

As of 5/13/20 only states where there are documented cases have been given approval.  (More info see VACCINE)