Multiple Dead Rabbits Found in Helsinki’s Herttoniemi
Several dead rabbits have been discovered in the Herttoniemi district of Helsinki over the past two weeks, prompting an investigation by local authorities. Yle reports that the City of Helsinki has received three separate reports of multiple rabbit carcasses in the area.
Päivi Lahti, a supervisory veterinarian for the City of Helsinki, stated that the exact number of dead rabbits remains unclear, as not all carcasses are easily visible, and some may have been consumed by predators. The city has sent samples of the dead rabbits to the Finnish Food Authority for examination, though results are still pending.
Possible Cause: Viral Infection
Both Lahti and Lauri Kareinen, a senior researcher at the Finnish Food Authority’s Animal Health Research Unit, suspect that the deaths were caused by a disease. The carcasses showed no visible signs of injury, leading experts to consider viral infections such as rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD), myxomatosis, or a protozoan parasite like coccidiosis.
Yle notes that RHD, in particular, is a rapidly spreading viral disease that damages internal organs, particularly the liver, and can kill rabbits within days. Kareinen explained that the disease is prevalent in southern and central Finland and is gradually spreading northward. While RHD primarily affects wild rabbits, it can also infect pet rabbits through direct contact or environmental exposure, such as contaminated plants or shoes carrying the virus.
Kareinen strongly recommends vaccinating pet rabbits, as the disease is almost always fatal without protection.
No Wider Outbreak Detected
According to Lahti, there is no indication of a broader epidemic affecting other animal species in Helsinki. Reports of dead rabbits have been limited to Herttoniemi, with no significant increase in mortality among other wildlife. Yle adds that similar cases were reported in the same area in the previous two years, though no widespread pattern has emerged.