FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Rabbits infected with a virus that causes horn and tentacle-looking growths on their faces are being reported in Colorado.
It’s called shope papillomavirus (SPV), and while it may look frightening, the growths are usually benign, said Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
“This is a virus that’s not uncommon in Colorado,” Van Hoose said.
The virus is passed by biting insects, like ticks, fleas and mosquitoes, and this specific strain only affects rabbits.
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Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, Eastern Cottontail rabbit, Sylvilagus floridanus, Rabbit with the papilloma virus (CRPV), or Shope papilloma virus,.
(Education Images/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
Dark-colored tumors that resemble tentacles or horns grow on a rabbit’s face when it is infected with the virus.
“They’re really more like warts,” Van Hoose said.
Van Hoose said the virus is typically only harmful to the rabbits if they get in their eyes or in the way of them eating.
Because the virus is passed through biting insects, there’s an uptick in the virus reports in the summer and fall when those insects are most active, Van Hoose said. She said recent media coverage has also led to an uptick in sightings and reports.
Though this specific strain is known to only affect rabbits, it’s best to keep your pets away from any rabbits showing signs of SPV.
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Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, Eastern Cottontail rabbit, Sylvilagus floridanus, Rabbit with the papilloma virus (CRPV), or Shope papilloma virus, which is a type I virus under the Baltimore scheme, possessing a non segmented dsDNA genome. It infects rabbits, causing keratinous carcinomas, typically on or near the animals head.
(Education Images/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
“We just encourage people to follow general wildlife safety principals,” Van Hoose said.
She said if a rabbit with SPV is seen in the wild, leave it alone. Reports to Colorado Parks & Wildlife are always welcome.
Reports of rabbits with the virus help the agency track where the virus has spread within Colorado.
Van Hoose said the virus usually clears on its own in rabbits.
Other animals, such as deer, can also be infected with various papillomaviruses, Van Hoose said.
