Home     President's Message     Breeding Stock    Suppliers    Market Report     Member's Area     Links     Join PRMA

RABBIT MEDICAL ALERT

RHVD IN URUGUAY MONTEVIDEO, Nov. 26, 2004(Xinhuanet) --
Uruguayan authorities issued an alert Friday on the outbreak of a highly contagious and fatal viral infection among rabbits in suburban areas of the capital.
The Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fishing ordered a series of measures to contain the spread of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, or RHDV, in the country, banning the movement of personnel, vehicles and animals in the affected areas, and culling all infected rabbits and those that have had contacts with the infected ones. Meanwhile, the ministry also advised the provinces outside the capital to take disinfection measures to prevent the virus from spreading to the inland areas. Uruguay's rabbit-raising industry has been developing well in recent years. Despite its small scale, the industry has attracted much investment. If RHDV cannot be effectively controlled in the capital, the fledgling industry will suffer destructive losses, and farmers will lose confidence in raising rabbits. RHDV once burst out in the United states, Mexico and Bolivia, which brought heavy losses to their rabbit-raising industry.