K5 RCD Virus
THE INTRODUCTION OF K5 RCD VIRUS FROM KOREA INTO AUSTRALIA.
Written by Maree Hamming (Tas) [email protected]
Following a spate of newspaper reports across the country, I decided to try and contact someone to find out more about the story behind the story. After many phone calls I was directed to a website called pestsmart. (The link is http://www.pestsmart.org.au/pest-animal-species/european-rabbit/ - lots of interesting reading)
On here I found many disturbing facts. The virus K5 is to be imported from Korea. Just this fact alone rings alarm bells.. This virus is of unknown veracity from a country that may not have the same safety standards as here.. It also states in the article that a French strain has been found here and no one knows how it got into Australia. Another disturbing fact as no rabbits have been imported into Australia for many years. How did it get here? Also this year a new stronger strain developed here called Super Mark 2 was released.
In the article from pestsmart one of the scientists states that K5 is believed to be very powerful and that the virus will most likely mutate together and that they do not know how that will play out. It is also stated that for the first time the virus is NOT SPECIES SPECIFIC. This is an incredibly dangerous path to take. The vaccine for these new strains has not been upgraded rendering vaccinating a dubious protection at best.
It is well known among the domestic rabbit community that vaccinated rabbits are dying at almost the same rate as unvaccinated rabbits. The loss of large numbers of domestic rabbits across the country is going to have a devastating effect on clubs and members alike with a huge flow on effect to many businesses where domestic rabbit breeders spend their money. Everything from airlines that fly judges in and out of Australia and between states in Australia. Money spent on trophies and rosettes etc. and other things clubs spend money on. Catering for shows etc. too. A huge national convention is held each year generating tourism. Then there is the huge amount spent on stock feed across the country, vet products, water and feed bottles, and equipment such as cages both built and pre made, paint, wire, timber. You name it many businesses will be affected if this virus K5 from Korea is allowed to be imported and released in this country to mix with the virus strains already here.
Everyone concerned is just devastated that this is going ahead without any care or concern for our domestic rabbits. A few paltry newspaper articles warning us to vaccinate with a vaccine that is already ineffective is just simply not good enough.
A number of rabbit owners across Australia are working to lobby the government in an effort to either delay release until more research is done or a more effective vaccine can be provided. There is a FB page which has links to a lot of information and also provides ideas on how everyone can lobby their own local politicians or anyone that they think may have a voice that the government will listen to. There are a number of petitions online that we ask you to sign and a couple of surveys for you to fill out which may help us with our lobbying. If anyone has any ideas or contacts that they think could help then please contact them or pass their details onto me and I will contact them. ANRCI will also have lots of information on their website so please check for updates.
Important links
Pestsmart--http://www.pestsmart.org.au/pest-animal-species/european-rabbit/
Against the Approval of the K 5 calici virus made in Korea--https://www.facebook.com/groups/1486751604975052/
Petition to sign https://www.change.org/p/andrew-wilkie-against-the-approval-of-k5-calici-virus-made-in-korea-for-use-in-australia?recruiter=30047685&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=sponsor_page&utm_term=des-lg-notification-no_msg
A survey to fill out https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8TXXDHX
Written by Maree Hamming (Tas) [email protected]
Following a spate of newspaper reports across the country, I decided to try and contact someone to find out more about the story behind the story. After many phone calls I was directed to a website called pestsmart. (The link is http://www.pestsmart.org.au/pest-animal-species/european-rabbit/ - lots of interesting reading)
On here I found many disturbing facts. The virus K5 is to be imported from Korea. Just this fact alone rings alarm bells.. This virus is of unknown veracity from a country that may not have the same safety standards as here.. It also states in the article that a French strain has been found here and no one knows how it got into Australia. Another disturbing fact as no rabbits have been imported into Australia for many years. How did it get here? Also this year a new stronger strain developed here called Super Mark 2 was released.
In the article from pestsmart one of the scientists states that K5 is believed to be very powerful and that the virus will most likely mutate together and that they do not know how that will play out. It is also stated that for the first time the virus is NOT SPECIES SPECIFIC. This is an incredibly dangerous path to take. The vaccine for these new strains has not been upgraded rendering vaccinating a dubious protection at best.
It is well known among the domestic rabbit community that vaccinated rabbits are dying at almost the same rate as unvaccinated rabbits. The loss of large numbers of domestic rabbits across the country is going to have a devastating effect on clubs and members alike with a huge flow on effect to many businesses where domestic rabbit breeders spend their money. Everything from airlines that fly judges in and out of Australia and between states in Australia. Money spent on trophies and rosettes etc. and other things clubs spend money on. Catering for shows etc. too. A huge national convention is held each year generating tourism. Then there is the huge amount spent on stock feed across the country, vet products, water and feed bottles, and equipment such as cages both built and pre made, paint, wire, timber. You name it many businesses will be affected if this virus K5 from Korea is allowed to be imported and released in this country to mix with the virus strains already here.
Everyone concerned is just devastated that this is going ahead without any care or concern for our domestic rabbits. A few paltry newspaper articles warning us to vaccinate with a vaccine that is already ineffective is just simply not good enough.
A number of rabbit owners across Australia are working to lobby the government in an effort to either delay release until more research is done or a more effective vaccine can be provided. There is a FB page which has links to a lot of information and also provides ideas on how everyone can lobby their own local politicians or anyone that they think may have a voice that the government will listen to. There are a number of petitions online that we ask you to sign and a couple of surveys for you to fill out which may help us with our lobbying. If anyone has any ideas or contacts that they think could help then please contact them or pass their details onto me and I will contact them. ANRCI will also have lots of information on their website so please check for updates.
Important links
Pestsmart--http://www.pestsmart.org.au/pest-animal-species/european-rabbit/
Against the Approval of the K 5 calici virus made in Korea--https://www.facebook.com/groups/1486751604975052/
Petition to sign https://www.change.org/p/andrew-wilkie-against-the-approval-of-k5-calici-virus-made-in-korea-for-use-in-australia?recruiter=30047685&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=sponsor_page&utm_term=des-lg-notification-no_msg
A survey to fill out https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8TXXDHX
History of the various Strains of RCD
This letter was passed onto us by an interested person. It contains the details of the various strains of RCD and makes for interesting reading....
The following information has been obtained by a senior research officer in our NRM Biosecurity section, a person who has considerable experience about rabbits and calicivirus.
The Czech strain RHDV that was introduced to Australia was one of the original ‘classic’ RHDV strains.
It has evolved gradually in Australia through a process of gradual genetic evolution, and newer emerging variants have replaced the older ones. The newer ones are more lethal than the older ones they replaced.
However, rabbits have evolved genetic resistance to the virus at the same time and so far the rabbits are slightly ahead of the virus, so it is not having quite as much impact as when it was first released.
The Invasive Animals CRC ‘RHD Boost’ program was designed to test overseas strains of RHDV that are not present in Australia to see:
(a) If any of them are more effective against RHD-resistant Australian rabbits, or
(b) Whether they can get around the protection provided by non-pathogenic calicivirus (RCV-A1) that was present in Australian rabbits before RHDV was introduced. RCV-A1 is most common in cool moist areas like the Adelaide Hills and south-eastern Australia and is one of the main reasons RHD was less effective there.
The new strain of RHD virus planned for release under the RHD Boost program is from Korea, which we call K5.
It has not been approved for release yet. We hope it will be approved for release next autumn. Initial testing indicates it is more effective at killing RCV-A1 immune rabbits so it should be most effective in cool-moist areas, but it may have wider benefits.
K5 is part of a group of RHDV strains that are collectively called RHDVa types.
They have been widespread in European wild rabbits and elsewhere in domestic rabbits for almost 20 years, and have completely replaced the classic RHDV strains in those areas. RHDVa-type viruses were unknown in Australia until last year.
You may have heard about a strain of RHDVa that was found at several sites in coastal NSW last year, which has been called the Chinese RHDVa because it is similar to some previously recorded in China.
It was also found at Canberra this year, but so far no further west than that.
It is not available for release. In fact we hope it does not spread because we think K5 will be more effective, and K5 may be harder to spread if the Chinese strain spreads first. The source of this virus escape is unknown.
There has also been another new strain found in Canberra this year, for the first time in Australia, called RHDV2. Reports of its virulence vary enormously. It was first recognized in Europe five years ago and has since become common in France and Spain.
The source of this virus escape is also unknown.
Because there are two new strains now spreading through wild rabbits in Australia we are very keen to obtain liver samples from any rabbits suspected of having died of RHDV to check which virus has killed them.
RHD has already been active on the Murray flats and the Flinders Ranges, and at Turretfield last week. So, it is likely RHD will be active widely in the next month.
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU HEAR OF ANY RHD OUTBREAKS.
We are extremely keen to obtain frozen liver samples from rabbits suspected of having died of RHD to track the spread of the new viruses. Leg bones from scavenged carcasses are also acceptable (but samples from shot rabbits are not).
Greg Mutze [email protected] 8303 9505
David Peacock [email protected] 8303 9504
Our rabbit authority also says he has tried to emphasize, in any media interviews he has done, the need for owners of pet rabbits to have their animals vaccinated.
For now, he remains reasonably confident that vaccination is effective against the common strains of the virus.
The new strain of the virus, RHDVa, was found in Sydney and coastal NSW in 2014 and reached Canberra earlier this year. The vaccine is supposed to be effective against that too.
However, there has been another new strain of RHD virus reported in Canberra this year against which the vaccine is reported to be only partially effective. This new strain, called RHDV2, was first found in Europe five years ago but we don't know how it got into Australia.
Our rabbit authority hopes to find out more from a European rabbit research meeting in Portugal next month, to review what is known or unknown about the new virus. The new arrival makes it particularly important to monitor viruses causing local outbreaks, although RHDV2 has only been found in one rabbit to date, the suspicion is that it is still very localised and won't get here for a couple of years.
The Czech strain RHDV that was introduced to Australia was one of the original ‘classic’ RHDV strains.
It has evolved gradually in Australia through a process of gradual genetic evolution, and newer emerging variants have replaced the older ones. The newer ones are more lethal than the older ones they replaced.
However, rabbits have evolved genetic resistance to the virus at the same time and so far the rabbits are slightly ahead of the virus, so it is not having quite as much impact as when it was first released.
The Invasive Animals CRC ‘RHD Boost’ program was designed to test overseas strains of RHDV that are not present in Australia to see:
(a) If any of them are more effective against RHD-resistant Australian rabbits, or
(b) Whether they can get around the protection provided by non-pathogenic calicivirus (RCV-A1) that was present in Australian rabbits before RHDV was introduced. RCV-A1 is most common in cool moist areas like the Adelaide Hills and south-eastern Australia and is one of the main reasons RHD was less effective there.
The new strain of RHD virus planned for release under the RHD Boost program is from Korea, which we call K5.
It has not been approved for release yet. We hope it will be approved for release next autumn. Initial testing indicates it is more effective at killing RCV-A1 immune rabbits so it should be most effective in cool-moist areas, but it may have wider benefits.
K5 is part of a group of RHDV strains that are collectively called RHDVa types.
They have been widespread in European wild rabbits and elsewhere in domestic rabbits for almost 20 years, and have completely replaced the classic RHDV strains in those areas. RHDVa-type viruses were unknown in Australia until last year.
You may have heard about a strain of RHDVa that was found at several sites in coastal NSW last year, which has been called the Chinese RHDVa because it is similar to some previously recorded in China.
It was also found at Canberra this year, but so far no further west than that.
It is not available for release. In fact we hope it does not spread because we think K5 will be more effective, and K5 may be harder to spread if the Chinese strain spreads first. The source of this virus escape is unknown.
There has also been another new strain found in Canberra this year, for the first time in Australia, called RHDV2. Reports of its virulence vary enormously. It was first recognized in Europe five years ago and has since become common in France and Spain.
The source of this virus escape is also unknown.
Because there are two new strains now spreading through wild rabbits in Australia we are very keen to obtain liver samples from any rabbits suspected of having died of RHDV to check which virus has killed them.
RHD has already been active on the Murray flats and the Flinders Ranges, and at Turretfield last week. So, it is likely RHD will be active widely in the next month.
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU HEAR OF ANY RHD OUTBREAKS.
We are extremely keen to obtain frozen liver samples from rabbits suspected of having died of RHD to track the spread of the new viruses. Leg bones from scavenged carcasses are also acceptable (but samples from shot rabbits are not).
Greg Mutze [email protected] 8303 9505
David Peacock [email protected] 8303 9504
Our rabbit authority also says he has tried to emphasize, in any media interviews he has done, the need for owners of pet rabbits to have their animals vaccinated.
For now, he remains reasonably confident that vaccination is effective against the common strains of the virus.
The new strain of the virus, RHDVa, was found in Sydney and coastal NSW in 2014 and reached Canberra earlier this year. The vaccine is supposed to be effective against that too.
However, there has been another new strain of RHD virus reported in Canberra this year against which the vaccine is reported to be only partially effective. This new strain, called RHDV2, was first found in Europe five years ago but we don't know how it got into Australia.
Our rabbit authority hopes to find out more from a European rabbit research meeting in Portugal next month, to review what is known or unknown about the new virus. The new arrival makes it particularly important to monitor viruses causing local outbreaks, although RHDV2 has only been found in one rabbit to date, the suspicion is that it is still very localised and won't get here for a couple of years.