An outbreak of a rapidly spreading virus is leaving cottontail rabbits with eerie black, horn-shaped growths sprouting from their heads, prompting warnings to keep a safe distance from the affected animals.
Dubbed “Frankenbunnies” by locals, the deformed rabbits have been reported in Fort Collins, Colorado. One resident, Susan Mansfield, told 9News she encountered a rabbit whose mouth was ringed with what looked like “black spikes or tiny sticks poking out in every direction.”
“It looks like it was black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth,” Mansfield said. “I thought he would die off during the winter, but he didn’t. He came back a second year, and it grew.”
The so-called “bunny blight” is in fact cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV), also referred to as Shope papillomavirus. The illness causes tumor-like swellings to develop around a rabbit’s head and is carried by parasites such as fleas and ticks, which transmit it when they bite, PetMD reports.
“Typically rabbits become infected in the warmer months of summer when transmitted by being bitten by insects like fleas and ticks,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose, according to the Coloradoan.
Although the latest cases have been spotted in Colorado, the disease is most commonly found in the Midwest.
With the virus reports on the rise, wildlife officials are cautioning the public to avoid touching or getting close to any animals showing signs of infection.
While some cases clear up without intervention, the growths can sometimes become so large that they hinder the rabbit’s ability to eat, ultimately leading to starvation, the Daily Mail reported.
The illness tends to hit pet rabbits harder than their wild counterparts, with the major concern being its potential to lead to squamous cell carcinoma, a dangerous and often deadly form of skin cancer, the New York Post reported.
Because of this risk, specialists recommend preventing contact between wild rabbits and domestic ones.
If infection does occur, veterinarians can remove the growths surgically before they have a chance to turn cancerous.
There is currently no cure for the condition.
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