Cottontail Rabbit Papillomavirus causes \u2018zombie\u2019 rabbit disease<\/p>\n
However, Chase Gunnell, Communications Manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), told MyNorthwest Cottontail Rabbit Papillomavirus (CRPV) is nothing new.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Shope papilloma virus (SPV), also known as cottontail rabbit papilloma virus (CRPV), has been present in the U.S. for around a century and is not new in Washington,\u201d Gunnell wrote in an email.<\/p>\n
Gunnell noted that while people have posted about the rabbits on social media in Washington \u2014 WDFW, wildlife biologists, and veterinarians have not received any recent reports.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot provide confirmation of a wildlife disease based on photos from social media alone,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
CRPV gives rabbits rough, red lesions around the ears, eyelids, neck, and shoulder, according to the book \u201cFerrets, Rabbits, and Rodents,\u201d posted on ScienceDirect<\/a>.<\/p>\n The growths don\u2019t harm the rabbits unless they interfere with eating, Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told The AP. Once the animals\u2019 immune system fights off the virus, the growths subside.<\/p>\n \u2018Zombie\u2019 rabbit disease cannot spread to other species<\/p>\n As for pets catching CRPV, Van Hoose said the virus can spread from rabbit to rabbit, but not to other species. Although the disease helped scientists research the connection between viruses and cancer, such as the human papillomavirus.<\/p>\n To report diseased wildlife, visit the WDFW\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Contributing: The Associated Press<\/a><\/p>\n Follow Julia Dallas on\u00a0X.<\/a> Read her stories here<\/a>. Submit news tips here.<\/a><\/p>\n
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