The release and tracking of RHDVS in Australia's rabbit population

Abstract

In 2009 the RHDV-Boost project began a search for an additional strain of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) to release as a biocontrol tool into Australia’s rabbit population. In May 2015 a new variant of RHDV—
RHDV2 was identified in wild rabbit carcases and has since spread across the country. In 2016 the RHDV1 K5 strain was registered for release and in March 2017 that strain was released into the rabbit population at over 700 sites across the country, through a coordinated program involving all States/Territories. There has been considerable community involvement in the release of RHDV1 K5 and the ongoing monitoring of all RHDV strains across the country through the RabbitScan community mapping program. Without the monitoring program established for the release of RHDV1 K5, tracking the spread of RHDV2 across the rabbit population would likely have been more difficult. Here we discuss the monitoring of RHDVs across the country and present preliminary data on the impact of the release of RHDV1 K5 on Australia’s rabbit population.