Addendum: OMAFRA has now issued their notification, along with advisories for vets and rabbit owners.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease has been identified in a group of pet rabbits in Lambton County, Ontario. This is a bit of a “surprising, but not surprising” scenario, as this highly contagious virus of rabbits is already present

As spring approaches, a pressing question has come to the minds of many kids: “Can the Easter bunny get COVID-19?” or “Can Easter bunny eggs spread COVID-19?

Fortunately, the answer is no. Easter bunnies are safe from this virus and kids don’t have to worry about whatever the Easter bunny leaves

Tularemia is a nasty bacterial disease. The bug that causes it, Francisella tularensis, is a category A bioterrorism agent (along with things like anthrax, botulism, plague, smallpox and Ebola virus). It’s classified as that because it’s highly transmissible and causes serious disease, so it’s something you definitely don’t want.

The bacterium circulates in the

Easter is one of those holidays when there are concerns about dumb pet purchases. Spur-of-the-moment purchases of inappropriate pets can lead to animal suffering and death, and risk of human infection. Easter’s problems: baby chicks and rabbits.

Rabbits can make great pets. They’re a long-term commitment, but they’re relatively low maintenance, a lot is

When it comes to handling microorganisms, there are 4 biosafety levels.

  • Biosafety level 1 (BSL-1) organisms are harmless.
  • BSL-2 organisms include most of the commonly encountered bugs, including things like E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. They can cause serious disease but infections are often treatable and they can be handled safely with

How likely is E. cuniculi to be trasmitted from an infected rabbit to a dog? My sister has a positive rabbit and my dog was just diagnosed with kidney insufficiency.  Now that the dog’s kidneys are compromised, should we be concerned?

Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a strange little organism that is now classified as a fungus

A recent question:

"I have two rabbits who just tested positive for E. cuniiculi… Can you please tell me how to disinfect my floors and kill the parasites? I don’t think bleach is doing it."

Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a strange little bug. It a member of a unique group of organisms called microsporidia. Originally thought