Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to stop the spread of UH disease in rabbits in the UK.

Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) was previously also known as Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD). The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Diseases of Wildlife Scheme (DoWS) funded by Defra, provides wildlife disease surveillance for wild mammal and wild bird diseases in England and Wales and undertakes small scale monitoring for RHD2 (the latest variant of the disease) in wild rabbits at Veterinary Investigation Centres in conjunction with its partners and collaborators. APHA DoWS detected the first reported case of RHD2 in Britain, in wild rabbits found dead in Cumbria.

We advise that all pet rabbits are vaccinated against RHD every year as well as being vaccinated against myxomatosis and keeping boosters up to date. The best people to advise the public on the health and welfare of pet rabbits are local vets.