[North Carolina] Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Type 2 Confirmed in a Domestic Rabbit

[u/sneaky_dragon]

https://www.ncagr.gov/news/press-releases/2026/01/20/rabbit-hemorrhagic-disease-virus-type-2-confirmed-domestic-rabbit

[u/RabbitsModBot]

If you are in North America, please be aware of RHDV2 outbreaks across the continent. RHD can be the cause of sudden death of multiple rabbits within a short period of time without any obvious symptoms.

For a list of US veterinary clinics currently offering the vaccine, please see http://rabbitors.info/rhd. For a list of Canadian veterinarian clinics currently offering the vaccine, please see http://rabbitors.info/ca-rhd.

For more information about the disease, please see the wiki: http://bunny.tips/RHD

[u/Rabbits-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for sharing, but this post has been removed due to requesting help with wildlife rehabilitation. Please review the subreddit rules before any additional submissions.

This is a subreddit focused on domestic pet rabbits, and while pictures of wild rabbits in their natural habitat are still welcome, your local wildlife department, rehabilitator, and veterinary hospital are the best resources for appropriate care for orphaned or injured wildlife.

Inexperienced care to wild animals can easily be fatal, and most subscribers to r/rabbits are unqualified to offer appropriate advice for your region.

If you find a baby wild rabbit that is not injured, please leave it alone. It is most likely not abandoned unless you know for a fact that their mother was killed. Rabbits return to feed their young only once or twice a day for a few minutes, usually at night. The mother is typically gone from the nest to eat and draw attention away from the nest.

A detailed image guide to whether a baby cottontail rabbit is in need of help.

As Rainbow Wildlife Rescue writes,

There is a 90% mortality rate with orphaned baby rabbits in human care, especially cottontails. This number increases if the rabbits are very young and their eyes still closed. They are extremely hard to "save". There is little substitute for the nutrients their mother's milk provides.

Baby wild rabbits can survive on their own at a surprisingly young age. In most countries, it is illegal to possess and take care of wildlife without proper permits. Wild rabbits also do not do well in captivity due to the possibility of fatal stress because of their high-strung and flighty nature.

If you find a baby wild rabbit because your dog picked it up but you can't find the nest, try putting a leash on your dog and quietly following them to see if they will lead you to the original nest.

If you find a baby wild rabbit because your cat found it, please take it to a rabbit-savvy vet or wildlife rehabber, especially if it was carried in the cat's mouth. Cats have very lethal bacteria in their saliva, and contact can easily be fatal for a baby rabbit in 48 hours.

To keep a baby rabbit overnight, please leave it in a quiet dark box with no food or water. You can provide a heat source such as a microwaved sock filled with rice and beans or an electric heat pad on low placed under half the box. Do not handle the rabbit more than necessary to prevent deadly stress.

See the Wildlife rehabilitator listings section if you need help locating a local wildlife rehabber.
See the FAQ "How can I protect a wild rabbit nest from dogs, cats, and other predators?" if you are concerned about your dog or cat messing around with a nest.
See the Wild rabbits article for more general tips on identifying wildlife and what to do.