RHD Deceased in Fort Nelson BC

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A die off-of wild rabbits (> 40 individuals) was detected in Fort Nelson, BC starting in late September 2026. Dead rabbits have been found along roadways and trails, as well as in residential areas. One of the dead rabbits, a snowshoe hare, was examined by a veterinary pathologist and diagnosed with rabbit hemorrhagic disease. This is the first ever wild lagomorph death from RHD in Canada. Part of a wider western RHD outbreak across northern BC, northern Alberta, & the Dehcho & South Slave Lake regions in Northwest Territories where die-offs of snowshoe hares have occurred.