The new strain of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease, known as RHDV1 K5 or ‘K5’ is to be released at more than 30 sites across western Victoria early next year.
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The release at about 150 sites in Victoria and 418 sites across Australia will be part of a campaign to control rabbits, which have an adverse impact on agricultural production and native ecosystems.
A total of 755 expressions of interest were received from community groups across Australia wanting to take part in the national roll out of the new virus. Of these, 355, close to half, came from Victoria.
Agriculture Victoria’s rabbit specialist John Matthews said many of the Victorian release sites were properties owned by members of Landcare networks.
Mr Matthews said the specific locations of release sites would not be disclosed for privacy reasons.
He said the virus was expected to spread between nine and 414 kilometres a month from release sites provided there were populations of blowflies and bushflies in the area to help spread it and ideal weather conditions.
The selection criteria for choosing the release sites included property size, their rabbit numbers and achieving an even distribution of the virus by not having release sites too close together.
Another selection criteria was a preference for coastal sites because south-west winds were expected to be the dominant winds during the month when the virus was likely to be released next year.
Mr Matthews said K5 was not a new virus, but a new strain of the existing virus already established and widespread in Australia.
It had exciting potential, offering “a once in a generation opportunity to improve biological control options for rabbits in Australia", he said.
Mr Matthews said K5 was selected because it might overcome the protective effects of a benign calicivirus which naturally occurred within Australia's rabbit population.
It was also selected because it was species-specific to European rabbits.
"K5 has the potential to kill more rabbits and provide for a faster death than the current strain of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease.
"Agriculture Victoria has commenced biological sampling at 13 long-term rabbit population monitoring sites across Victoria in the lead up to the release of K5, in order to be able to accurately monitor the spread and impact of K5 once it is released," Dr Matthews said.
"A key message for land owners is that K5 isn't a silver bullet and is not expected to result in population reductions like those seen in 1996-97 when calicivirus first arrived in Victoria,” he said.
