Rabbit plague spreads out in NRW: Experts make the alarm!

Rabbit plague spreads out in NRW: Experts make the alarm!

Gelsenkirchen, Deutschland - alarm mood in the Ruhr area! The dreaded rabbit plague, also known as myxomatosis, spreads out rapidly and has already reached Gelsenkirchen, Bochum and Mettmann. Since mid-August, the plague has been moving unexpectedly through North Rhine-Westphalia, starting at the border with the Netherlands in the Wesel district. The concerns of the experts are growing, because the virus not only threatens the wild rabbits, but also the brown hare population to a previously unknown extent. The hunters who classify the situation as alarming.

The dangers of the rabbit plague

myxomatosis is not new, but the current dimensions are terrifying. The autumn hunt was even canceled in Herten to protect the already weakened rabbit population. The state hunting associations are on alert and ask all hunters to be attentive. "Diseased or died brown hare must be reported immediately," said Dr. Luisa Fischer from the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV). Walkers are also called to report suspicious animals to act as quickly as possible.

The rabbit plague is caused by the myxoma virus and manifests itself through painful swelling and growths. While the virus for humans and pets such as dogs and cats is harmless, the rabbit plague, which was also proven in NRW, is a serious threat to human health. The transmission is made by direct contact between animals and is also favors by mosquitoes that were able to multiply in the moist conditions of the year.