News

Blowflies enlisted by CSIRO scientists to help track calicivirus in feral rabbits

Here's another story on our work using blowflies as an environmental surveillance tool for RHDV!

Can we use flies to monitor RHDV activity?

The National Rabbit Biocontrol Monitoring Program is working on new and innovative ways to monitor the movement of the various RHDV (calicivirus) strains circulating in Australia.

CryoEM reconstruction of Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus

The latest research findings about the rabbit virus, RHDV2

Researchers from across Australia have been monitoring this virus intensively over the past few years and have found that it has suppressed rabbit abundances by an average of 60%, with impacts most pronounced in southern and western Australia.

Meet the ferals: rabbits

Meet the Ferals, by ABC, looks at the devastating impact feral animals have on Australia's environment and agriculture.

Controlling those pesky rabbits

How CSIROs research is helping to control feral rabbits in Australia.

Pie chart showing 47% of rabbit samples analysed were positive for RHDV2, while only 10% were positive for K5.

Rabbit virus K5 proves a killer but questions over failure to spread

Although K5 worked very effectively at release sites, it failed to spread through the landscape. Research into the reasons for K5 not spreading is continuing but one key factor was the presence of another "rogue" calicivirus strain, RHDV2, that had spread across the landscape and killed millions of rabbits well before K5 could get a foothold.

Centre for Invasive Species Solutions board directors, staff, project leaders and and collaborators pictured with the the Hon. David Littleproud MP Minister for Agriculture after receiving the Australian Biosecurity Award – Industry category, at the awards ceremony in Canberra last night

Rabbit virus program wins top national biosecurity award

The Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (CISS) is honoured to receive one of the Australian Governments’ top biosecurity awards for its role in coordinating the release, monitoring and evaluation of a new rabbit biocontrol agent – the first nationally coordinated release in more than 20 years.

Photo of researchers examining a dead rabbit

K5 rabbit virus an early success with deaths at release sites, researchers say

Researchers at the CSIRO in Canberra have analysed 80 samples from dead rabbits over the weeks since the release — and 53 per cent of those samples have tested positive to the new RHDV-K5 virus.

CSIRO confirm first death of rabbit due to K5 virus

Rabbits are beginning to die from the virus released last week, with the first case of RHDV-K5 confirmed today.

How ‘biocontrol’ fights invasive species

Australia’s “ferals” — invasive alien plants, pests and diseases — are the largest bioeconomic threats to Australian agriculture. They also harm our natural ecosystems and biodiversity. A great article in The Conversation from our researchers on why biocontrol is so important to protect Australian agriculture and the environment.