Abstract
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is a highly contagious pathogen that infects wild and domestic rabbits and hares (lagomorphs). Globally, RHDV2 has resulted in substantial economic losses for commercial rabbit trade and caused wild lagomorph population declines. Previous research on RHDV2 suggests that human-mediated movement of rabbits may contribute to the spread of RHDV2. We conducted the first survey of individuals who own or interact with domestic rabbits to identify their rabbit husbandry behaviors and knowledge of, and concerns about, RHDV2. In 2021, we surveyed 1807 rabbit owners, breeders, and rescue staff in the USA. Respondents had a high level of knowledge about RHDV2. Respondents believed RHDV2 posed a high risk to rabbit-related activities and were concerned about its economic and ecological impacts. Nearly half of respondents always kept their rabbits indoors, but 10.7% of respondents allowed their rabbits outside frequently on properties used by wild lagomorphs. Respondents with five rabbits or less were generally willing to vaccinate their rabbits, but respondents with larger herds argued that vaccines were cost prohibitive. Given respondents’ concerns about RHDV2, communication about disease prevention should highlight the adverse ecological and economic consequences of RHDV2.
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Acknowledgements
This research was funded by Multistate Conservation Grant # F21AP00618, a program funded from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, and jointly managed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. We thank the House Rabbit Society and the American Rabbit Breeders Association for their assistance in disseminating the survey. We also thank Dr. Gino J. D’Angelo and Dr. Michel T. Kohl for reviewing the survey instrument used to collect the data presented in this paper.
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The University of Georgia’s Institutional Review Board characterized our study as non-human subjects research because we elicited no identifiable or sensitive private information from research participants. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Shapiro, H.G., Ruder, M.G. & Pienaar, E.F. Down the Rabbit Hole: Domestic Rabbit Owners’ Perceptions of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2. EcoHealth 19, 487–501 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-022-01622-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-022-01622-7