It is a nonenveloped virus with a diameter around 35–40 nm, icosahedral symmetry, and a linear positive-sense RNA genome of 6.4–8.5 kb.

RHDV causes a generalized infection in rabbits that is characterized by necrosis of the liver, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and rapid death.

[5] Rabbit lagoviruses also include related caliciviruses such as European brown hare syndrome virus.

Transmission occurs by direct contact with infected animals, carcasses, bodily fluids (urine, feces, respiratory secretions), and hair.

[6] RHD outbreaks tend to be seasonal in wild rabbit populations, where most adults have survived infection and are immune.

As young kits grow up and stop nursing, they no longer receive the antibodies provided in their mother's milk and become susceptible to infection.

[16] RHD caused by RHDV and RHDVa demonstrates high morbidity (up to 100%) and mortality (40-100%) in adult European rabbits.

[6] These viruses replicate in the liver and by mechanisms not fully elucidated, trigger the mass death of hepatocytes which can in turn lead to disseminated intravascular coagulation, hepatic encephalopathy, and nephrosis.

[6] A presumptive diagnosis of RHD can often be made based on clinical presentation, infection pattern within a population, and post mortem lesions.

As most caliciviruses cannot be grown in cell culture, antibody and nucleic acid based methods of viral detection are often used.

Evidence of liver failure may also be present, including increased bile acids and bilirubin, and decreased glucose and cholesterol.

Other tests used include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, electron microscopy, immunostaining, Western blot, and in situ hybridization.

[6] The tissue of choice for molecular testing is fresh or frozen liver, as it usually contains the largest numbers of virus, but if this is not available, spleen and serum can also be used.

Nobivac Myxo-RHD,[24] made by MSD Animal Health, is a live myxoma-vectored vaccine that offers one-year duration of immunity against both RHDVa and myxomatosis.

One effective option is to wipe down surfaces with a 10% bleach solution, allowing 10 minutes of contact time before rinsing.

Other disinfectants shown to work include 10% sodium hydroxide, 2% One-Stroke Environ, Virkon S, Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes, Trifectant, Rescue, and hydrogen peroxide cleaners.

A list of disinfectants that are effective against calicivirus (in this case norovirus) can be found on the Environmental Protection Agency's website.

[33] RHD is primarily a disease affecting European rabbits, which are native to the Iberian Peninsula and are found in the wild in much of Western Europe.

European rabbits have been introduced to and become feral and sometimes invasive in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and various islands.

Since then, RHD has spread to over 40 countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, and is endemic in most parts of the world.

[36] South Korea was the next country to report RHD outbreaks following the importation of rabbit fur from Mainland China.

[40] This initial epidemic was brought under control in the late 1990s using a combination of vaccination, strict biosecurity, and good husbandry.

The outbreak occurred in feral European rabbits, and genetic testing identified the viral strain as RHDV2.

Testing of the virus was undertaken on Wardang Island in Spencer Gulf off the coast of the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia.

However, in late August, RHDVa was confirmed to have been deliberately and illegally introduced to the Cromwell area of the South Island.

Ten years on, rabbit populations (in the Mackenzie Basin in particular) are beginning to reach near preplague proportions once again, though they have not yet returned to pre-RHD levels.

[45][46] Resistance to RHD in New Zealand rabbits has led to the widespread use of Compound 1080 (Sodium fluoroacetate).

In 2018, a larger outbreak occurred in feral European rabbits on Delta and Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

[58] The virus circulating in the Southwest United States is distinct from the RHDV2 isolated from New York, Washington, Ohio, and British Columbia, Canada.

Department of Agriculture inspectors began testing after becoming aware of 9 rabbit deaths on a Maui farm.