Pretoria – The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) on Friday announced that vaccines against Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) were now available.
“Vaccines have now been successfully imported and rabbit owners have the option to prevent or control the disease by requesting vaccination through their private veterinarians,” the DALRRD said.
The DALRRD said together with the South Africa Health Products Regulatory Authority, and the Registrar of Act 36 of 1947 they successfully worked to make provision for the legal use of inactivated vaccines in South Africa.
South Africa currently has 218 open RHD outbreaks reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
RHD does not affect humans or domestic animals other than rabbits.
The DALRRD said most of these outbreaks occurred in the Northern Cape (165 outbreaks) and Western Cape (41 outbreaks), while a smaller number of outbreaks were reported from the Free State (6) and Eastern Cape (5).
“Most recently, an outbreak was confirmed in Gauteng Province,” the DALRRD said.
“Africa had been historically RHD-free up until the first outbreak in November 2022 and vaccination against the disease was not previously allowed in the country.
“However, the need for voluntary vaccination to protect rabbitries became clear.”
The DALRRD warned that carcasses of RHD-infected rabbits may be a major source for viral spreading, since the virus seems to be highly resistant and stable, even when exposed to harsh environmental conditions.
“Since the first outbreaks in November 2022, in the Western Cape and Northern Cape Provinces of South Africa, outbreaks have since also been confirmed in rabbits in Eastern Cape, Free State, and Gauteng Provinces,” said the DALRRD.
“Even though biosecurity measures are difficult to implement in wild populations, rabbit owners are advised to practice good biosecurity, ensure that their rabbits are securely confined, and prevent any contact with other rabbits or hares.
“Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act (Act No 35 of 1984) states that it is the responsibility of the owner of animals and the owner and manager of the land on which animals are kept, to prevent disease from entering the animal population and if already present, to prevent the further spread thereof.”
The DALRRD said members of the public are encouraged to report any dead or dying rabbits or hares to the nearest State Veterinarian for investigation.
