Truffles the rabbit was vaccinated against RCD but died of RCD in September 1996. There was apparently a report prepared by or for the Chief Veterinary Officer of Victoria concerning Truffles. This report apparently exists in a printed form (as do most reports). However attempts to obtain a copy of this report are met with the unbelievable excuse that the entire computer system had been shut down so the information is unaccessible.

Somewhere, hidden in the archives of the Victorian State Government's Chief State Veterinary Officer lies a report on Truffles the rabbit who died of RCD even after being vaccinated against the disease.

Why are Victorian authorities so reluctant for a member of the public to have access to this report?

RABBIT CALICIVIRUS VACCINE: REQUEST FOR INFO
============================================
[see 960109]

Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996
From: M.Wegner

It has just been reported that a rabbit vaccinated against RCD in Victoria, Australia has died of RCD/RVHD. According to an article in the Melbourne "Age" (23 Sep 1996), a rabbit named "Truffles" had been vaccinated at 12 weeks but it died from the disease at 17 weeks. The chief state veterinary officer will investigate why the pet rabbit died of the rabbit calicivirus disease despite being vaccinated.

This article says that experts from the Department of Agriculture now think that a second vaccination at the 16 week stage may be required to protect rabbits once their immunity has worn off. However, the literature that is packaged with the annual RCD vaccine states that it is an annual vaccine. It does not mention a second [booster] vaccination as being necessary, and many pet and show rabbits, including my own, have had a bad reaction to the first dose of vaccine.

According to a qualified source, a rabbit reacting badly to the first dose may suffer a worse reaction to the second dose. Authorities intend to use RCD as a biological control against wild rabbits. Local information indicates the control measures could start in 10 days.

Would any veterinarians from France, Spain or the UK or any country where RCD/RVHD virus already exists, please advise urgently as to whether the annual oil based vaccine should be boosted at 16 weeks with a second full dose? I for one do not wish to lose my beloved Cashmere lops to RCD for lack of knowledge, but neither do I wish to expose them to an extra dose of the RCD vaccine unless this is necessary. I am a committee member of a large rabbit club and we are unsure of how to proceed in this matter.

Any help would be much appreciated.


email rabbit@wantree.com.au
..........................................dp/jw



Natural Resources and Environment
AGRICULTURE
RESOURCES
CONSERVATION
LAND MANAGEMENT

Dear Mrs Wegner

"TRUFFLES" AND RCD

Thank you for your letters of 1 and 24 August 1997 concerning autopsy reports and clinical notes the Department has on Truffles.

The Department's Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostic computer system was closed down last 30 June 1997 because the system was no longer serviceable. Closure of the system has meant that the Department can no longer search the records because of the decommissioning.

Despite this impediment, I have been able through other avenues to ascertain that:
· this Department did not do a post mortem on Truffles - the animal was post mortemed by a
private veterinary practitioner;
. the Department received only a frozen liver sample for testing; and
. the liver sample was only tested for RCD virus antigen with a positive result.

Your request suggests that vaccination failure in a small number of vaccinates is abnormal. I can ensure you that illness or death from the discase will occur in a small number of animals (or humans) that appeared to have been otherwise effectively vaccinated (range up to 1 in 100,000).

The facts remain as communicated by this Department at the time when RCD first occurred on mainland Australia. Pet rabbits need to be vaccinated if there is a desire to protect them from RCD. RCD vaccination has proved to be as effective a vaccine as the best animal vaccines available in Australia. This assessment takes account of the high challenge that non-vaccinates and animals with sub-optimal immunity will have received from virulent feld virus.

Thank you for your enquiry.

Yours sincerely
A .T TURNER
CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER, VICTORIA

Chief Veterinary Officer's Unit