# The next pandemic? Hemorrhagic disease killing rabbits in Oregon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 30, 2021, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046 "2021-03-30T20:57:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/1 "2021-03-30T20:57:48Z")
There’s an outbreak of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus in a Portland suburb (Milwaukie OR, not the misspelled city in WI). If this were a disaster movie (and the previous year has done nothing to convince me otherwise), the next pandemic would start with a fairly innocuous headline like this. Next we need some graphic death throes to heighten the tension. Here we go: “RHDV2 kills rabbits suddenly, and they’re often found with bloody, frothy discharge around their noses and mouths.” The final shoe dropping would be some overconfident government official assuring us that there’s no way for the virus to make the leap to humans. > “It poses no risk to human health,” officials wrote… Oh shit. > **[A Virus Is Killing Pet Rabbits in Milwaukie and Could Spread Across Oregon](https://www.wweek.com/news/2021/03/29/a-virus-is-killing-pet-rabbits-in-milwaukie-and-could-spread-across-oregon/)** > > On March 14, a veterinarian called the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife with a report of eight domestic or feral rabbits found dead in Milwaukie. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/2 "2021-03-30T21:01:23Z")
“If the government denies it, it must be true.” ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/3 "2021-03-30T22:25:19Z")
There was a big piece on this in The New Yorker last year. Very informative. > **[The Rabbit Outbreak](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/07/06/the-rabbit-outbreak)** > > A highly contagious, often lethal animal virus arrives in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/4 "2021-03-31T00:25:04Z")
Australia has RHDV1 ( v351 and K5 ) and RHDV2.\* _The vaccine against RHDV1 is less effective against RHDV2_ # # dun dun… dun dun…. dun dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnn # \*We don’t hunt bunnies. We shoot them. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/5 "2021-03-31T02:20:35Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > There’s an outbreak of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus in a Portland suburb (Milwaukie OR, not the misspelled city in WI). After that comment, I think the city of MilwaukEE will be bribing your rabbits to attack… (if you notice them with bratwurst and cheese curds, run awaaaaaay…)! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/6 "2021-03-31T03:30:13Z")
Here’s some more information. [https://rabbit.org/rhdv/](https://rabbit.org/rhdv/) ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/7 "2021-03-31T04:18:24Z")
> [@digs](#): > > > [@TroutMan](#): > > > > There’s an outbreak of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus in a Portland suburb (Milwaukie OR, not the misspelled city in WI). > > After that comment, I think the city of MilwaukEE will be bribing your rabbits to attack… (if you notice them with bratwurst and cheese curds, run awaaaaaay…)! Anyone wearing Bears or Vikings gear is a goner. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/8 "2021-03-31T04:41:30Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > RHDV2 kills rabbits suddenly He seemed so nice in _Star Wars_ ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/9 "2021-03-31T04:46:53Z")
And just a few days away from Easter! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/10 "2021-03-31T05:12:45Z")
Personally, I’m a bit more concerned about the H5N8 avian flu that HAS had [at least one known instance](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/02/russia-reports-first-human-h5n8-avian-flu-cases) of a human catching it. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/11 "2021-03-31T13:00:57Z")
I had been considering a bunny for myself. I have decided against it now. Thanks Universe for sending me a sign. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/12 "2021-03-31T13:18:07Z")
Pandemics have gone from being a once in a several centuries phenomenon to a once in a several decades phenomenon, and with global climate change, people will likely be living in tighter spaces, along with other disease-carrying hosts. The result is that we may see COVIDs with alarming frequency. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/13 "2021-03-31T15:18:56Z")
I think you’re a little off the mark there on the frequency… [List of epidemics - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_epidemics) The difference seems to be that in the past, they took a long time to spread- something like COVID-19 would have had to spread via ship or land transportation, and today they can spread much, much faster via air transport. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/14 "2021-03-31T16:02:31Z")
Back in the 60s the Uk government was concerned that rabbits were undermining railway embankments and roads. They infected them with [Myxomatosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myxomatosis) which was nearly 100% fatal to our wild rabbits. I recall seeing sick rabbits on grass verges and it pretty much killed off the rabbit meat trade. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/15 "2021-03-31T21:55:31Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Next we need some graphic death throes to heighten the tension. Here we go: “RHDV2 kills rabbits suddenly, and they’re often found with bloody, frothy discharge around their noses and mouths.” The last rabbit I saw with blood all around its nose and mouth was the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog. [![]( "YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnOdAT6H94s) Would be especially fitting if this real world disease made the infected rabbits, well, rabid, and they all became crazed mass killers. Sort of like the antagonists in zombie movies but much faster & more agile. Smarter too. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/16 "2021-03-31T22:09:45Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Pandemics have gone from being a once in a several centuries phenomenon to a once in a several decades phenomenon, and with global climate change, people will likely be living in tighter spaces, along with other disease-carrying hosts. The result is that we may see COVIDs with alarming frequency. In fact, the IPCC has noted that among the anticipated health impacts of climate change are a changed distribution and potentially increased prevalence of some disease vectors. This is in addition to increased morbidity and mortality from heat waves, floods, and droughts. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/17 "2021-03-31T22:19:51Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Would be especially fitting if this real world disease made the infected rabbits, well, rabid, and they all became crazed mass killers. Sort of like the antagonists in zombie movies but much faster & more agile. Smarter too. I would pay to see this movie. We’re about due for a reboot of [Night of the Lepus.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA910vCNRe4) ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-pandemic-hemorrhagic-disease-killing-rabbits-in-oregon/939046/18 "2021-03-31T23:47:18Z")
Well that’s just sad–I live right off the Springwater Trail not far from Milwaukie and it would really suck if this got loose in the wild populations. I really like watching all the Nature’s Little Happy Meals frolicking about, they’re way cuter than the California jackrabbits I grew up with.