Rupert the therapy bunny has been sidelined from his volunteer work, due to a deadly virus outbreak among rabbits.
Rupert has been , as he visits patients at Chilliwack General Hospital on a regular basis to comfort them in their rooms, and brighten up the spirits of pediatric patients. But when the outbreak of rabbit haemorrhagic disease was announced, Rupert and his handler Norm Keller immediately stopped public appearances.
B次元官网网址淭here has been an outbreak of B次元官网网址楻abbit haemorrhagic diseaseB次元官网网址� in Nanaimo, B.C.,B次元官网网址� they announced on Rupert BunnyB次元官网网址檚 Facebook page on March 2. B次元官网网址淭his is reported to be a very contagious airborne disease fatal to rabbits, which doesnB次元官网网址檛 affect other animals. It is reported to be easily transported/transmitted so Rupert will be under quarantine and not visiting for the near future.B次元官网网址�
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Rabbit owners across B.C. and Washington are being asked to take precautions, by the B.C. government after a large number of dead rabbits were found in the Vancouver Island University area.
B次元官网网址淩abbit haemorrhagic disease is an extremely infectious and lethal disease of rabbits,B次元官网网址� said Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. B次元官网网址淚t is the third confirmed diagnosis of this virus in Canada, and the first in British Columbia. The disease is exclusive to rabbits. Other animals, including dogs and cats, cannot be infected.B次元官网网址�
Humans are not at risk, so the precautions are for RupertB次元官网网址檚 and other rabbitsB次元官网网址� safety, not the patients he was visiting.
B次元官网网址淎s well, rabbit owners should take precautions when disposing of any rabbit remains, and contact their veterinarian for more information. Rabbit calicivirus is a pathogen, which affects only European rabbits, not native rabbits,B次元官网网址� the ministry said.
The quarantine lasts 15 weeks from the last reported, which could mean Rupert will be at home for quite some time. On RupertB次元官网网址檚 Facebook page, theyB次元官网网址檝e been sharing the most up-to-date information from the Dewdney Animal Hospital. They recently reported that a case of the virus has been detected on the mainland.
jpeters@theprogress.com
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