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	CORONAVIRUS
	My very first year our rabbitry was hit with Rabbit Enteric Coronavirus. I?m not an expert but would like to share our experience to give both warning and hope to others.
	The First Signs: Cornavirus is a airborne viral disease in dogs and most other animal species. The virus is characterized by the it's quick onset of putrid smelling diarrhea. Animals dehydrate rapidly (it seems instantaneous) and die within hours. Hardest hit are the very young, aged and stressed.
	It was early spring and we had been busy over the winter building our new herd.
	Rapid Onset: Where we picked up the virus is still unknown to us. One morning I found a dead 12-week-old show prospect. Just a week later we found another dead bunny. This one's rear legs were coated with diarrhea.  Over the next few weeks, bunnies died one every couple of days, then one a day, then several per day. Usually there was no warning that anything was amiss.
	As I frantically looked for answers my local vet performed a necropsy for me. His findings confirmed an intestinal problem.
	Search For The Cause: I had the feed company perform an analysis of the pellets. Then I had an independent company perform a more extensive analysis. I requested an analysis from our county water department. I replaced all grain with a fresh batch of another brand, replaced my hay supply. Cages, water bottles, food dishes, the interior of building, including the ceiling, were disinfected several times over.
	Nothing helped: Bunnies were dropping dead all around me. Tests were ordered on fecal, blood and tissue samples. I made several 6 hour round trips to the State Agriculture Dept. so their vets could perform necropsy's on "fresh" samples. Cultures were grown.
	The results slowly came in; no parasites, no coccidian, no pasturella and the list went on and on as one culprit after another was ruled out.
	Perfectly healthy well-nourished bunnies were dying all around me for seemingly no reason. It was a living nightmare. Devastating emotionally as well as financially. Over 100 bunnies would die of this terrible disease before the end.
	The Cause At Last: Electron microscopy of fecal pellets revealed the presence of coronavirus! State vets were not alarmed but mildly curious. Research revealed only ONE documented case in of coronavirus in rabbits in the U.S.
	English Research: Research from England supplied a bit more information, most of it with a very poor prognosis.
	Available information suggested that the rare survivor of this disease would be a lifelong carrier and re-infect future generations. It was suggested more than once that the only possibility was complete depopulation of the herd, followed by intensive disinfecting and a long period of isolation of the premises before introducing a new herd.
	Up to this time treatment and vaccination had proven unsuccessful in all cases.
	After Three Months: Completely exhausted by more than 3 months of death and disease I finally consented to the depopulation with  some exceptions. Since there was so little information available I decided to perform my own clinical trial.
	My Test: I selected 1 buck and 4 does from my original herd that had never shown signs of illness and 4 juniors who had been ill with the virus but survived the devastation. We humanely euphemized and buried all of the remaining stock.
	The trial rabbits were moved outdoors to an open-air tent style housing away from the main rabbitry. Cages and all equipment were bleached, heat torched and pressure washed prior to set up within the tent. Again all foodstuffs and equipment were replaced. The main rabbitry was thoroughly disinfected and left empty to air out for the entire summer.
	Months later when the weather began turning colder I returned the rabbits to the indoor rabbitry. I held my breath as the does were bred. Juniors also were bred and raised litters as they became of age. The coronavirus did not revisit our rabbitry.
	My conclusions:  Coronavirus is just that, a virus. It is deadly but can be overcome with time and hard work. As with most viruses it must run its course and then will be gone. Not every rabbit exposed will succumb; dependent upon their immune system. We tried controversial treatments, as well as the usual rehydration with IV fluids and supportive care to save those afflicted, most to no avail. We were at the mercy of a rampant virus and there is little we could do to affect the outcome.
	I learned many things about animal husbandry from this harrowing experience.  How fragile and precious life is and how delightful a healthy litter can be. That I am stronger and more insanely stubborn than I ever believed possible. I use the all in-all out method of reproduction, such as many livestock farmers do. Breed all the does you wish to at the same time, let them raise their litters completely and disinfect cages before breeding for the next litters. In this manner if disease hits, the number of potential victims is limited and the outbreak will not be ongoing. Separate rabbits by breed (I believe this is what saved the Jersey Woolies, as they were not affected until the very end and the loss was minimal) and age. Bucks and dry does should be kept separate from expectant and nursing does. Weanlings and growing juniors are best managed in their respective areas. Separate buildings would be ideal but realistically separating cage banks by at least 4 feet on all sides for each section if possible. This will go a long way in preventing the spread of disease, should such an outbreak occur. Quarantine all new additions for at least 2 weeks. Show animals should also be kept separate from the rest of the herd during peak show season. There are limits to every ones time, money & personal resources. Only you can determine yours. Survivors and exposed animals may build immunity to this virus, which protects them from future outbreaks and perhaps they will pass this onto their offspring. It has not been our experience that future generations were adversely affected or re-infected. There is no better disinfectant than bleach, sun and air.
	I do not believe coronavirus is all that rare. I believe many others have unknowingly been affected but have not persevered to find the cause. Cost, availability and access to knowledgeable assistance can be prohibitive. Many people accept the occasional loss of individuals and/or litters as part of raising animals and not a cause for alarm. If one is raising rabbits on a small scale this can easily be the case, the virus hits, destroys and is gone before the next generation is born. Heavy losses such as we experienced would most likely only occur in more intensive ongoing breeding programs thus alerting the rabbit keeper to this virus.