RABBIT HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE - CUBA
**********************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: OIE Disease Information, Vol 18, No 4, 28 Jan 2005 [edited]
<http://oie.int/eng/info/hebdo/a_current.htm#Sec4>


Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease In Cuba
-----------------------------------------------------
(Date of previous outbreak of rabbit haemorrhagic disease in Cuba reported to the OIE: 2001).

Immediate notification report

Translation of information received on 25 Jan 2005 from Dr Emerio F. Serrano Ramirez, Director General of the Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Agriculture, Havana:

Report date: 21 Jan 2005.

Reason for immediate notification: re-occurrence of a listed disease or infection in a country, zone/compartment.

Date of start of the event: early December 2004.

Nature of diagnosis: clinical, post-mortem and laboratory.

Number of outbreaks that occurred in December 2004: 21.

Location of the outbreaks:
First administrative division/ Lower administrative division/ Latitude/ Longitude
Havana/ San Jose de Las Lajas/ 22 deg 57 min 41 sec N 82 deg / 09 min 04 sec W
Havana City Arroyo Naranjo 23 deg 02 min 11 sec N /82 deg 22 min 12 sec W
Havana City Boyeros
Havana City Cotorro 23 deg 01 min 57 sec N /82 deg 15 min 38 sec W
Havana City Diez de Octubre
Havana City Guanabacoa 23 deg 07 min 26 sec N /82 deg 18 min 01 sec W
Havana City La Habana del Este 23 deg 09 min 21 sec N /82 deg 19 min 33 sec W
Havana City La Lisa 23 deg 04 min 00 sec N /82 deg 25 min 60 sec W
Havana City Playa 23 deg 06 min 00 sec N /82 deg 27 min 00 sec W
Havana City San Miguel del Padron 23 deg 04 min 60 sec N /82 deg 19 min 00 sec W

Total number of animals in the outbreaks:

species	susceptible	cases	deaths	destroyed	slaughtered
lep	14 450	2362	2362	9184	2904

Diagnosis: when a sudden high mortality rate occurred and when the 1st cases of adult rabbits (alive or dead) were received in early December 2004 with a known clinical history, clinical examinations were carried out as well as epidemiological and laboratory research (anatomopathological examinations and haemagglutination test with human erythrocytes), which led to a positive diagnosis for rabbit haemorrhagic disease.

Control and surveillance measures adopted to date:

- A disease emergency was declared in the provinces of Havana City and Havana, and a disease alert including extreme vigilance measures was issued in the rest of the country.

- Epidemiological surveillance and information campaigns were stepped up nation-wide.

- A ban was declared on the movement of rabbits in and around the outbreaks.

- Stringent measures were applied in and around the outbreaks and the necessary sanitary measures were adopted, both to prevent the disease from spreading and to protect major rabbit production centres in the country.

Note by the OIE Animal Health Information Department: the Delegate of Cuba to the OIE has been requested to provide further information on the outbreaks.