Controlling Pesky Rabbits with Viruses
Rabbits, with their twitching noses and fluffy appearance, may charm pet lovers, but in Australia, they are one of the most destructive invasive pests. Today, an estimated 200 million wild rabbits roam Australia and wreak havoc on farmland and crops—an agricultural nightmare for farmers.
Maria Jenckel studies the spread of viruses within domestic and wild rabbit populations, with the help of citizen science sampling efforts over the past decade.
Maria Jenckel
To control the rabbit population, researchers turned to viruses, such as rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), as a biocontrol agent. While natural strains of RHDV exist, Australian researchers have engineered their own complementary versions to release into the wild.
In 2009, the Center for Invasive Species Solutions launched FeralScan and RabbitScan as a free community resource to monitor the activity and disease spread of RHDV in rabbit populations. Because of limited personnel, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) molecular biologist Maria Jenckel explained that sampling was sporadic, with only about 30 rabbits collected each year. In 2015, motivated to increase sample numbers, CSIRO hopped onto the idea of using RabbitScan to engage citizen scientists in tracking viruses ahead of the 2017 release of the latest RHDV strain.1
The initiative engages the public in rural and urban areas to collect tissue samples from dead wild or domestic rabbits found in their area. CSIRO provides free sample kits to assist with this effort. By sequencing the viral RNA, scientists can more effectively monitor how virus populations shift geographically, fluctuate with the seasons, and evolve over time. So far, they’ve analyzed more than 3,500 samples and identified at least six distinct recombinant variants.
“We definitely would not have had this insight into the virus distribution genetic diversity without this project,” said Jenckel. “However, we say with virus biocontrol, you basically need a new tool every 10 to 15 years. Since the last virus was released close to 10 years ago, we will soon need something new.” Future strains may be better equipped to overcome resistance to current circulating strains.
Jenckel also pointed out that, in addition to landowners and farmers, pet owners have been a valuable resource by sending their deceased bunnies in for viral testing and seeking guidance on how to protect their pets through RHDV vaccinations. In the meantime, she added that she hopes more citizen scientists will join the initiative to help researchers survey every corner of Australia.
Want to submit your own citizen science project?