From the EGLN newsletter:
Rabbits! Next K5 Virus Release
While things are pretty quiet at the moment, waiting for the rabbit kittens to grow, we can prepare for the next RHDV K5 release. By early April things should be good. Low feed availability is in our favour but some flies and mosquitoes would be good to carry the virus. The Lake King release site from late last year seems to have worked well. The involved farmer has said that despite the lack of dead rabbits being found after release of the virus, he has not had to use Pindone as a follow up due to lack of rabbits (and lots of flies and smells from the warrens). As hoped, it would appear the virus travelled with the wind along the lakeside population and reached Tambo Bluff where some deaths due to K5 have been reported (but no samples obtained to confirm).
For the next release, Rob Irvine has enough FREE vials of the virus on hand to conduct a release program over several large sites. If any Landcare group or land-holder is interested Rob can help. Criteria: medium to high concentration of rabbits with likelihood of virus being able to spread to neighbouring areas, land-holder prepared to do spotlight counts over 1 week to gauge numbers, run free feed bait stations over at least a week to gauge uptake/amounts, collect any dead rabbits and take liver sample (or freeze animal for Rob to take sample), and then monitor numbers over the next few weeks. Rob is happy to visit Groups to discuss rabbit control in their patch. Contact Rob if interested by email lower-tambo-landcare@bigpond.com . There is hope.