Species: Rabbits and hares

Hares and rabbits are members of leporidae family of the order lagomorphs.

Disease general

• Encephalitozoon
• Hepatitis E
• Viral hemorrhagic disease (VHD) RHD

Research results

• European polecat kills rabbit, then dies of injuries inflicted by the rabbit (12/01/2023)
• Tularaemia confirmed in the provinces of North Holland, Overijssel and Limburg (18/11/2019)
• Reappearance of tularaemia in the province of Utrecht (30/09/2019)
• Rabbit mortality caused by RHDV-2 continues in 2019 (18/09/2019)
• Reappearance of tularaemia in the province of Overijssel (24/04/2019)
• Not all hares die due to tularaemia (13/12/2018)
• Unicellular parasite Encephalitozoon in hares (18/10/2018)
• Hare with growth on nose (06/02/2018)
• Rabbit hemorrhagic disease type-2 still present (19/09/2017)
• First case of RHDV-2 in a hare in the Netherlands (12/01/2017)
• Reappearance of tularemia in the central Netherlands (21/10/2016)
• Deadly rabbit disease throughout the Netherlands (18/08/2016)
• A new case of tularemia in a hare from Friesland (27/01/2016)
• New variant of rabbit virus also found in wild rabbits (08/01/2016)
• Why does VHD (RHD) pose such a risk to wild rabbits? (16/12/2015)
• Tularemia also found in hares in Gelderland (16/07/2015)
• Zoonotic diseases in hares (30/04/2015)
• Update: Tularemia in Friesland (20/04/2015)
• Update: Tularemia in Friesland and Overijssel (30/03/2015)
• Hares don’t only get tularemia… (27/03/2015)
• Tularemia also found in hares in Friesland (26/02/2015)
• Tularemia also found in a hare from Utrecht (21/05/2014)
• Poisoning in wildlife (18/01/2012)
• Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection in a hare (30/04/2011)

General news

• Re-emergence of tularemia in Kromme Rijn (19/04/2017)
• Changes to tularemia testing program in 2016 (15/01/2016)

Publications

• Phylogeographic Distribution of Human and Hare Francisella Tularensis Subsp. Holarctica Strains in the Netherlands and Its Pathology in European Brown Hares (Lepus Europaeus). Koene M., J. Rijks, M. Maas, R. Ruuls, M. Engelsma, P.r van Tulden, M. Kik, J. IJzer, D. Notermans, M.de Vries, E. Fanoy, R. Pijnacker, M. Spierenburg, H. Bavelaar, H. Berkhout, S.Sankatsing, R. Diepersloot, K.Myrtennas, M.Granberg, M. Forsman, H.J. Roest & A.Gröne (2019). Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol., 11 February 2019
• Environmental surveillance during an outbreak of tularaemia in hares, the Netherlands, 2015. Janse I. M. Maas, J.M. Rijks, M. Koene, T.Q.J. van der Plaats, M. Engelsma, P. van der Tas, M. Braks, A. Stroo, D.W. Notermans, M.C. de Vries, F. Reubsaet, E. Fanoy, C. Swaan, M.J.L. Kik, J. IJzer, R.I. Jaarsma, S. van Wieren, A.M. de Roda-Husman, M. van Passel, H.J. Roest, J. van der Giessen. Environmental surveillance during an outbreak of tularaemia in hares, the Netherlands, 2015. Euro Surveill. 2017;22(35):pii=30607. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.35.30607
• Tularaemia in a brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in 2013: first case in the Netherlands in 60 years. Rijks J.M., M. Kik, M.G. Koene, M.Y. Engelsma, P van Tulden, M.G. Montizaan, T. Oomen, M.A. Spierenburg, J. IJzer, J.W. van der Giessen, A. Gröne & H.J. Roest. (2013). Euro Surveill. 2013 Dec 5;18(49). pii: 20655. Euro Surveill. 2013 Dec 5;18(49). pii: 20655.
• Confirmation and phylogenetic analysis of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus in free-living rabbits from the Netherlands. van de Bildt MW, van Bolhuis GH, van Zijderveld F, van Riel D, Drees JM, Osterhaus AD & Kuiken T. (2006).  Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 2006, 42(4):808-12. Link to abstract.