Pet rabbit owners are concerned a new strain of the calicivirus will lead to more deaths of domesticated rabbits.
Environment Canterbury has been granted consent to use a new strain of the virus called RHDV1 K5, released next month.
But the Rabbit Council says more than a hundred pet rabbits have died from the calicivirus this year, and it fears a new strain will only increase the number of deaths.
The president of the Rabbit Council of New Zealand, Joanne McMillan, says nearly twenty of her rabbits have died.
She says she noticed a baby rabbit with "blood coming from its nose," but then an adult rabbit, which had been vaccinated, died.
"I had that autopsied and it came back as positive for calicivirus," she says.
The Ministry of Primary Industries doesn't record the number of pet rabbit deaths, but says there has been an increase in the number of calls from rabbit owners to the Pests and Diseases hotline.
A spokesperson for MPI says it’s "investigated approximately 12 deaths in the past year".
SPCA Chief Executive, Andrea Midgen, says pet rabbits have grown in popularity, and in 2016 there were about 116,000 nationwide.
She says it's important pet owners ensure their animals are vaccinated, but is concerned the new strain may have wider implications.
"We are not quite sure that vaccine will work," she says.
Environment Canterbury will use the new strain next month, with other regions following before the end of April.
The only regions not to use the new virus are Northland, Taranaki and the West Coast.
SHARE ME