3 ms·

You mean there is no chance of it ever spreading outside New Zealand, or infecting similar species ?

• toomanybeersies 9y ago
  It is already outside New Zealand. It's a naturally occurring variant of the virus from Korea. The only similar species in New Zealand that it could spread to would be hares. If that did happen, that would be an added bonus. Hares are also considered a pest animal in New Zealand.
  • hvidgaard 9y ago
    It does not affect hares, but they can spread it to other rabbits.
  • farseer 9y ago
    Deliberately spreading a virus on a large area may give the virus more hosts and more opportunities to mutate itself into something undesirable. The natural occurring variant only spreads via transmission on 4 legged creatures, not via crop dusters and other flying machines!
    • quixoticelixer- 9y ago
      Something undesirable like what exactly?
    • eesmith 9y ago
      That's not how biology works. RHDV1 K5 is a strain of RHDV1. RHDV1 in all of its mutations only affects the European rabbit. As https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_haemorrhagic_disease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_haemorrhagic_disease points out, it doesn't seem to affect other rabbits, like cottontails, black-tailed jackrabbits and volcano rabbits. It also points out that birds, flies, rabbit fleas, and mosquitoes can spread the virus between rabbits, and those aren't "4 legged creatures." The disease is endemic to most of Europe, so it's not like it doesn't have plenty of opportunities already.