Rabbit plague in Dortmund

Rabbits in Dortmund's parks and parks released for shooting

22/10/2014

In Dortmund, the rabbit plague has occurred again this year. The Lower Hunting and Fisheries Authority in the Environmental Department of the City of Dortmund has therefore in a recent release all „Entitled to significantly reduce the rabbit population and in particular to release infected animals.“ The hunters are to eliminate on behalf of the city of the sick rabbits and minimize the risk of infection for the rest of the population.

Due to the spread of myxomatosis (rabbit plague), the city of Dortmund had already reported last week in a circular letter to the hunters. The deadly disease for rabbits does not present a danger to humans, but it can extinguish entire rabbit populations and infest even domestic rabbits. Recreation seekers in parks and forests are asked in the press release of the city of Dortmund to avoid any contact with diseased rabbits. Animals raised and dead would be collected to reduce the risk of infection. According to the city, both the clearance to launch and the further procedure are coordinated with the Municipal Veterinary Office. „Visitors and residents of parks are being asked to understand that more rabbits are being hunted“, so the official message.

Combat rabbit fever task of the communities
In addition to Dortmund, some other regions of North Rhine-Westphalia are increasingly affected by myxomatosis. However, it does not respond with correspondingly drastic measures everywhere. So the news agency reports „dpa“ citing the Weseler district veterinarian Antonius Dicke, that the situation in Dinslaken was particularly dramatic. Here, 90 percent of the rabbit population had been killed by myxomatosis in September. Due to the particularly dense population, the plague in Dinslaken could spread so extremely. Rabbit plague is transmitted via blood-sucking parasites, in particular by mosquitoes and fleas. The North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of the Environment in Dusseldorf said that the fight against the rabbit plague is in the hands of the respective communities and they can opt for different ways. The Wesel district, for example, did not argue for a shooting, but merely for collecting the carcasses of dead animals. Domestic rabbits can be protected by a vaccine against animal disease. (Fp)