Contagious virus confirmed in over 20 rabbits found in ten counties - including Carlow

A contagious virus has been confirmed in over 20 rabbits found in ten counties - including Carlow, a Government Minister has confirmed. 

Green Party TD, Catherine Martin, asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht about areas impacted by the RHD2 virus. 

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) was first reported in domestic (farmed) rabbits in China in 1984, killing 4 million animals within one year of its discovery.

By 1986 this viral disease had been found in continental Europe and has since spread globally leading to significant mortality in wild populations of rabbits.

In 2010, a new more virulent strain of this virus (RHD2) emerged in France. It causes death within a few days of infection with sick animals having swollen eyelids, partial paralysis and bleeding from the eyes and mouth.

RHD was first detected in domestic rabbits in Ireland in 2018. This summer it was confirmed in wild rabbits in Clare and Wicklow and the first case in a wild hare has been confirmed in Wexford.

RHD and RHD2 pose no risk to humans.

In response to the Parliamentary Question by Deputy Martin, Minister Josepha Madigan said: "Since the initial reports of the RHD2 virus in August this year, RHD2 has been confirmed in five hares found in Dublin and Wexford and in 21 rabbits found in counties Carlow, Clare, Cork, Kildare, Leitrim, Meath, Offaly, Tipperary, Wexford and Wicklow.

"In relation to hare coursing, I recently issued revised licences to allow the netting and tagging of hares but there are specific restrictions and conditions explicitly attached to the issue of those licences.

"The capturing of hares and coursing activity is prohibited in areas within a 25 kilometer radius of where wild rabbits or hares had tested positive for the virus.

"New zones will be added on an ongoing basis if further positive tests arise and, in these new zones, the capturing of hares will have to cease immediately and coursing will only be possible with already captured hares, where the hares are certified in writing by a veterinary surgeon as being healthy, and such hares will only be released on foot of further such certification."