The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture received notice Wednesday from the USDA confirming Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) in two pet rabbits that died on December 7 in Clover Township, Jefferson County. The site is under quarantine, and is being cleaned and disinfected. The disease poses no risk to human health, or to animals other than rabbits.

RHD causes sudden death in rabbits that have previously exhibited no signs of disease. It is a viral disease that may spread through contact with infected rabbits, their meat or fur, or materials they have touched.

The virus has two strains. This strain, RHD1, has not been found in Pennsylvania before, and is not known to affect wild rabbits. There is no vaccine available in the U.S. A strain of the virus known to affect wild and domestic rabbits was confirmed in Ohio in September 2018.

Rabbit owners who have questions about this disease should contact their veterinarians. Veterinarians who suspect RHD cases should immediately contact the department’s Bureau of Animal Health at 717-787-4250.