Authors: Montbrau, C.; Padrell, M.; Ruiz, M.C.

In 2010 a new variant of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHDV-2) emerged in France and quickly spread through several European countries, causing atypical outbreaks in commercial rabbitries. Classical RHDV vaccines showed low cross-protection against RHDV-2, revealing the need for a specific vaccine against the disease. In this study the efficacy and safety of ERAVAC, an inactivated vaccine developed by HIPRA for preventing RHDV-2, was evaluated and compared with its simultaneous administration with a classical RHDV vaccine (Cunipravac RHD).

These results suggest that the administration of ERAVAC® alone or simultaneously with CUNIPRAVAC® RHD can be considered safe in terms of local and general reactions. Furthermore, in both cases the seroconversion induced in vaccinated rabbits confers complete protection against challenge with virulent RHDV-2 seven days after vaccination, demonstrating that the simultaneous administration of both vaccines does not interfere in the serological response against RHDV-2.