(Australia) RHD baits update/USA RHD outbreak

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http://www.iinet.net.au/~rabbit/decnewsr.htm

(Please note there are links on the page listed above to the RHD Coalition

etc.)

 

RCD/RHD Urgent Updates/news Australia/USA

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1.There has been another outbreak of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in the USA

(December 2001). This is the third outbreak ever officially recorded in the

USA. The outbreak was in New York. Read the latest news of this outbreak at

on the Rabbit Information Service website based in Australia at RCD

information pages

 

 

2.If you live in the USA or Canada and you want to stay informed about

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease, we recommend you join the Coalition against RHD

at Coalition against RHD (USA/Canada)

 

 

3.Australian authorities are considering an application to spread RHD on

food baits (RHD food baits are not legal anywhere in the world except in New

Zealand. Also in NZ, rabbits with RHD have been found with their ears

rotting away and taking weeks to die). There is no surveillance or

monitoring in place in Australia to monitor Australian native animals who

may ingest RHD in unknown quantities on food baits and CSIRO tests showed

possible RHD infection in some Australian native animals (their antibody

levels were above the 30% cut-off even though they were given low doses of

RHD virus). If you wish to protest at the deliberate spread of RHD on food

baits, there is a pre-made letter you can send to the NRA (National

Registration Authority - who has the final say in approving the RHD baits)

at Letter of protest to Australian authorities re RHD food baits

 

 

4.At the time of writing this update (15/12/2001) sources have informed me

Environment Australia is to give its approval to the RHD food baits. We have

asked for a copy of their report to evaluate the basis on which Environment

Australia may consider RHD safe to deliberately spread on food baits.

Animals Australia may also be submitting a Freedom of Information request to

obtain a copy of this new document as it is probable access will be denied

using the old excuse of " Commercial in Confidence " .

 

 

5.At present the Environmental Defenders Office in Perth, Western Australia

is helping me with an appeal to reveal the name of a " secret reviewer " who

the NRA has engaged to review the Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease bait

information. There is absolutely no reason for any reviewer to remain

annonymous when they are being paid with taxpayers money to review a deadly

virus to be spread across the Australian Continent. At one time in New

Zealand a " secret panel " was chosen to review RHD data and this panel was

revealed under FOI and everything was made public after this time. There is

absolutely no need for secrecy in the consideration of RHD as a biological

control agent in Australia. The public has a right to know every detail of

the RCD baits proposal as the further spread of RHD in Australia will put

more people and animals in contact with unknown quantities of the RHD virus.

 

 

For more RHD information go to RHD pages at Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RCD)

pages

 

 

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