11/08/2025
⚠️⚠️🆘️🆘️⚠️⚠️🆘️🆘️⚠️⚠️
Multiple reports of rabbits passing quite suddenly had reached me in the last 24hrs, from Gauteng side.
Reports came from:
- Alberton
- Henley on Klip
- Lyttelton in Centurion
- Boksburg
- Randburg
Of rabbits passing between 24 and 48 hrs, some up to 60 hrs since they started to go limp.
What people describe is:
- No eating
- limp behaviour
- shortness of breath,
- some have wettish noses or eyes
- full respiratory infection for a very short period; before
- "drunken" behaviour, churning and stumbling, and then a seizure at the end with front feet "running" (which shows usually that there are fluid in the lungs, drowning in the lungs.
My Initial feeling is BirdFlu or evn Newcastle Disease (NDV) not RHD, but we can never be sure.
In 2019 in Southern Cape, we have experienced this with wild and feral colony rabbits, dassies, birds, mongoose and other small animals. A sample was sent to AST labs in CT to test, and came back as H5N8 Birdflu in a feral rabbit.
Those experiencing losses and can afford it, please take fresh remains to your vet, double bagged, and ask them to have it tested for both RHDV and BirdFlu.
I am not in the position anymore to organise and pay for this, when following up on RHD.
To ALL people - please implement RHD Biosecurity Protocol , as this will also assist against the breakout of any other diseases.
- Safe Hay,
- spray F10 on shoes, hands etc,
- limmit access to your animals,
- outside and inside clothes and shoes,
- etc
We have been through the RHD drill, we can use it for other diseases, if this is not RHD. Please stay safe.
2023 started with a Birdflu breakout and ended in a huge RHDV2 breakout. Being vigilent and practicing Biosecurity can stop diseases in their tracks!
Birdflu in small animals require a vet visit where antiviral support is given, ad well as antibiotics for the secondary bacterial respiratory infections. Please keep Colloidal Silver and Ivermectin in stock and use as part of your biosecurity.
Ivermecting has been proven to manage viruses, as well as keep your animal's immune system up when it gets rid of all the parasites. Parasites = decreased immunity.
We are aware that BirdFlu has also broken out in Western Cape, as well as of birds and cats in Gauteng suddenly experiencing respiratory infections.
Spring is coming. Lets stay safe.