Rabbit haemorrhagic disease:Macquarie Island rabbit eradication adds to knowledge on both pest control and epidemiology

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), introduced into in Australia and New Zealand as a biological-control agent for wild rabbits, is least efficacious in cool humid areas where a non-pathogenic calicivirus (RCV-A1) also circulates. Heavy rabbit mortality following release of RHDV on cold sub-An...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Wildlife Research
Main Authors: Cooke, Brian, Springer, Keith, Capucci, Lorenzo, Mutze, Greg
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2017
Subjects:
Antarctic
New Zealand
Antarc*
Macquarie Island
Online Access:https://researchprofiles.canberra.edu.au/en/publications/76f7615a-d4c8-4021-8a7b-ff18f28cc1ef
https://doi.org/10.1071/WR16221
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85020554766&partnerID=8YFLogxK
Description
Summary:Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), introduced into in Australia and New Zealand as a biological-control agent for wild rabbits, is least efficacious in cool humid areas where a non-pathogenic calicivirus (RCV-A1) also circulates. Heavy rabbit mortality following release of RHDV on cold sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, where RCV-A1 was apparently absent, not only complemented the planned rabbit eradication operations, especially by reducing secondary poisoning of sea-birds from aerial baiting, but also ruled out cool or humid climate as a major limiting factor of disease spread. In turn, this has advanced the idea that RCV-A1 antibodies inhibit RHDV spread as well as reducing disease severity and mortality.

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