RVHD2 update

*IMPORTANT*
RVHD2 Vaccine availability. UK.
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Please ensure your vets are aware of this information
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As you may know, over the past year there has been an increasing concern regarding RVHD "new variant 2" becoming a cause of deaths in several outbreaks in the UK. Whilst it has been noted in the UK in research papers (Westcott and Choudhury) for at least 2 years, it has clearly become a significant clinical entity in the past few months.

As a result, the RWAF, with valuable assistance from the APLA, Ann Pocknell (Finn Pathologists), Mark Stidworthy and Daniela Denk (IZVG) and Tariq Abou-Zahr (Great Western Referrals) have been putting together a disease risk assessment.

We (RWAF) have now successfully established an SIC (Special Import Certificate) for a suitable EU member state vaccine, Cunivak RHD, and placed an order for a small number of vaccines to establish an ordering system into the UK.

Vets can order their own supplies from VMD. If they require any further information, they should contact the RWAF at hq@rabbitwelfare.co.uk and we will pass on any veterinary queries to our vet, Mr Saunders, but they should be aware that he may be dealing with a high volume of email. A more detailed explanation of the above should be available in Vet Times and Vet Record soon.

*OWNER ENQUIRIES WILL NOT BE SENT TO MR SAUNDERS. ONLY REQUESTS FROM VETS*

So for owners - this means you will need to ask your vets to order the new vaccine. This will need to be given AS WELL AS the current combi vaccine (however the injections cannot be given at the same time). If your rabbit is vaccinated with the combi vaccine AND the cunivak vaccine, they will have been vaccinated against myxo, rvhd1 and rvhd2.

Thank you very much for the information love, it is much appreciated.

Hugs
Jo xx

I contacted my vets yesterday, and they're looking into it, i hope they get back to me soon. I'd rather not have to travel to get them vacc'd but i will if i have too!!

Zo wrote:I contacted my vets yesterday, and they're looking into it, i hope they get back to me soon. I'd rather not have to travel to get them vacc'd but i will if i have too!!

It's 2 injections 3 weeks apart (in case you don't already know!) so two journeys to put them through


I've got my first batch booked in.  Given that the main road is closed due to flood damage it will be a 54 mile, 2.5 hour round trip... weather forecast scaring me too.  I'll need to do 8 journeys.

Does anyone have a ballpark idea of the cost?

Thanks hunny

Hugs
JO xx

If I can help anybody with anything please say.

That is lovely, we could do with really spreading the word with this beautiful song.

Hugs
Jo xx

Vets are being told that no more vaccine will be available in this country and the manufacturers/supplies can't say when it will be available!

I'm going to ring anton on Monday - perhaps they already have some.

This is infuriating.

I spoke to my vet on weds when I was there, they weren't aware of this yet and are going to find out about it. I'll ask the vet school when I'm there also.

KatieB wrote:I'm going to ring anton on Monday - perhaps they already have some.  

This is infuriating.  

Hopefully. I only know of Crab Lane in Harrogate and Holly House in Leeds that actually got any but hopefully others did as well.

I've busted a gut (four lots of 60 mile round trips, time of work etc) to get all mine their first dose and at the moment I don't know if they have enough for the second dose....

To avoid confusion between vets and owners, this same message is going out to all our vet and owner members so that everyone will have the same information available.

RVHD2 IS present in the UK, and has been for a couple of years , as evidenced by the Westcott and Choudhury paper ( WESTCOTT D. G., CHOUDHURY B.
(2015) Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2-like variant in Great Britain. Veterinary Record 176, 74 doi:10.1136/vr.102830).

Since that paper came out, we have had a number of reports, from Dorset to East Anglia, of laboratory confirmed RVHD2. We have also had a large number of unconfirmed reports, based on a range of findings, from clinical suspicion, to detailed post mortems.

We established an import process for "Cunivak RHD", and, unfortunately have exhausted the company's stocks. We are therefore exploring other vaccine options.

To bring everyone up to speed on the situation:

1. Is the current Nobivac Myxo-RHD effective against RVHD2? No, unfortunately not, according to MSD, the company making it. However, it is vital to still continue to vaccinate rabbits against Myxomatosis, the main preventable fatal viral disease of rabbits, and RVHD1, which is still the main strain found in the UK, with Nobivac Myxo-RHD.

2. What exactly is the supply situation with Cunivak RHD? To the best of our knowledge, this is completely out of stock, and a date for new supplies is still not known. We await more information on this from the company. When we have more information on this, or the next point, we will send out another message to everyone on our list.

3. Are other vaccines available? We are revisiting the other vaccines that we identified earlier, in order to determine if another option is available. We initially selected Cunivak as it was available in single doses, to avoid splitting multidose vials with short shelf lives once open, between rabbits, as this could have biosecurity concerns if vaccinating a large number of rabbits in a short space of time. This process is likely to take some time, but once we know more, we will let people know the details.

One thing that would REALLY help us is if vets and owners can report any cases of RVHD. If you know of any, please could you contact us on hq@rabbitwelfare.co.uk with the following info: approximate geographical location; number of rabbits affected and their ages; how diagnosed: eg suspected, gross post mortem, histopathology, or specific viral test, in which case was this RVHD1 or RVHD2.

We would recommend that vets reserve a second dose of vaccine for those rabbits which have already received a first dose. If you are a vet who has already vaccinated a rabbit with a first dose, and has insufficient vaccine for that animal's second dose, please contact me via hq@rabbitwelfare.co.uk to discuss the options.

When I spoke with the vet school yesterday they confirmed they will be getting the vaccination in when its available and will be sending a letter round to all rabbit owners on their record when they do