the connecticut veterinary medical diagnostic laboratory (cvmdl) recently identified a domestic case of the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus type 2 (rhdv2) in the state. the cvmdl is part of the university of connecticut’s college of agriculture, health and natural resources.

dr. guillermo risatti, the director of the cvmdl, oversaw the lab’s identification of rhdv2.

“whenever there is an outbreak – in this case a significant die-off of rabbits – most likely what happened is that the owner called the vet, the vet saw it as an unusual event and let the state know,” risatti said. “then the lab jumps in and has to conduct a foreign animal disease investigation.”

a spreading crisis

dr. emily reinhardt is an associate director of the cvmdl and an assistant clinical professor of veterinary pathology at the university of connecticut, or uconn. she added that the cvmdl had been monitoring regional cases of rhdv2 before the first case in connecticut was brought to the lab for identification in september.

“it’s been informally on the radar of the lab for a while,” reinhardt said.

as risatti mentioned, the identified case of rhdv2 was sent to the cvmdl because a significant number of rabbits in a domestic population died in a short amount of time.

“dr. lewis, the state veterinarian, reached out to us to let us know the virus had been identified in new jersey and that we should be on high alert,” reinhardt said. “soon after, she submitted to us the domestic case that was diagnosed as positive.”

according to reinhard, the symptoms of rhdv2 are easily identifiable.

“the classic sign is the bloody nose,” reinhard said. “the rabbit just dies suddenly, and often has a bloody nose.”

according to the usda, the blood-stained nose is from internal bleeding that the virus causes. infected rabbits may also develop a fever, be hesitant to eat or show signs of nervousness or respiratory issues.

part of the concern over the disease is that rhdv2 is extremely contagious and often fatal to infected rabbits, reinhardt said.

“it’s a more infectious variant of the classic rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus; the fatality rates are higher and it targets a wider age range of rabbit than the classic variation,” reinhardt said. “there is a higher threat to wild species with this variation; it’s more dangerous.”

wild rabbit populations already fragile

much of the current concern regarding rhdv2 is the possibility of the disease entering connecticut’s wild rabbit population, reinhardt said. “the risk to connecticut’s wild rabbit population relates to the disease’s high fatality rate.”

rhdv2 could also remain in the wild rabbit population as a reservoir, and perpetuate a cycle of transmission between wild and domestic populations, reinhardt said. “it can be transmitted on fur, wood, animal droppings or urine, shoes or by pets, so there is risk to any domestic rabbit with access to an outside area.”

other experts already had concerns regarding the state’s wild rabbit populations before the identification of rhdv2 in connecticut.

chadwick rittenhouse, ph.d., is an assistant professor in residence in the department of natural resources and the environment at uconn who has done extensive research on wild rabbit populations in the state.

there are two species of wild rabbit in connecticut – the eastern cottontail rabbit and the new england cottontail rabbit, rittenhouse said in an interview. the new england cottontail is native, whereas the eastern cottontail is invasive. population numbers for the new england cottontail are already low, rittenhouse said.

“the new england cottontail’s range is being overtaken by the eastern cottontail,” rittenhouse said. “they are very indistinguishable from each other, often we have to look at genetic information to tell the two apart or identify the species of a specific rabbit.”

in 2015 the new england cottontail was not considered an endangered species despite relatively low population numbers, rittenhouse said. he says that now rhdv2’s rapid spread poses a greater threat to the new england cottontail species.

“so there is huge concern over this disease,” rittenhouse said. “we know it can pretty much decimate a population, quite literally reduce it to one-tenth of its original size, as it did in the southwestern united states and a few other places.”

low population numbers for the new england cottontail rabbit mean that if the often-fatal rhdv2 disease gets into connecticut’s wild rabbit population, it could lead to extinction.

“if rabbit hemorrhagic disease wipes out a large proportion of the new england cottontail population, and there are not enough of them left to repopulate, it could be the end of the species in the wild,” rittenhouse said.

the threat of extinction

this threat of extinction also has negative implications for other populations in the connecticut ecosystem, he said.

“rabbits are food for other species in the food chain,” rittenhouse said. “if we snap a finger and all the rabbits are gone, their predators will have to switch prey, and therefore put pressure on other populations.”

these extinctions of one population in a food chain are often due to the effects of climate change. and extinctions don’t just impact one species – they disrupt the entire food chain and surrounding ecosystem, experts say.

still, extinction threatens many animal and plant species each year. mark urban, a biologist and associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at uconn, highlighted the importance of reducing extinction rates and maintaining biodiversity.

“i think it’s a mistake that we just monitor species and populations to extinction,” urban said. “we need to do something about it, rather than just watching them decline.”

but experts say that there are limited outcomes for rhdv2 and connecticut’s rabbit populations at the moment.

miranda davis, ph.d., a wildlife ecologist and assistant professor in residence in the ecology and evolutionary biology department at uconn, said the spread of rhdv2 to the wild rabbit population could be devastating.

“when we get a novel disease or disease variant introduced to a system, oftentimes the host species have very little resistance,” davis said. “this is particularly true if the host species is a dense population, like rabbits, and the disease can easily spread like wildfire.”

according to davis, the hope regarding most threatening diseases is that they become endemic, like the flu in the human population.

“there isn’t necessarily a way to entirely get rid of it, but it also doesn’t kill individuals at a high enough rate to wipe itself out,” davis said. “the population just has to deal with it.”

a proactive solution

experts say a large part of preventing extinctions via novel diseases relates to disease identification. this work is done in labs like the cvmdl.

risatti explained that the cvmdl is a member of the united states department of agriculture’s national animal health laboratory network. one of the lab’s main goals is to respond to disease events such as this one quickly.

while rhdv2 has not been identified in connecticut’s wild rabbit populations yet – the only positively identified case in the state was in domestic rabbits – the threat of this happening remains. and rhdv2 is likely too fatal to hold out hope for reaching an endemic level, rittenhouse said.

“the best solution we know of right now is the vaccine,” said rittenhouse, referring to the rhdv2 vaccine available from europe. state agencies are looking at getting this vaccine to where it is needed in connecticut, before the disease reaches the state’s wild rabbit populations.

“it’s not feasible to catch and administer a vaccine to all the wild rabbits in connecticut, but we can give it to our contained or domestic rabbit populations as a start,” rittenhouse said.

many of my friends’ homes were lost, flooded or incinerated by fire when the transformer blew up as the angry waves smacked against it. our town had no power for weeks, trees had turned the roads into an obstacle course, and we were forced to remain in place. the devastation of hurricane sandy that struck our town and swept across the east coast was foreign to my adolescent mind. since then, every time a hurricane or tropical storm passes over connecticut, i hold my breath and hope there will not be a repeat of that destruction. unfortunately, climate change is forming the perfect recipe for more aggressive and frequent hurricanes. 

the connection between climate and weather

sea levels rising and ocean waters increasing in temperature will fuel hurricanes to extremes, making storms like sandy a common occurrence in the northeast. the national climate assessment projects that hurricanes in the atlantic ocean will more commonly be category 4 and 5, the strongest and most deadly type of hurricanes. what’s more, evidence from the physics organization shows that hurricanes in the northeast will linger longer, not retreating and bringing more severe damage to towns.  

current connecticut environmental regulations are not sufficient to impede the frightening changes that face us. however, organizations like 350ct and save the sound have produced actionable plans to combat these significant events. they have proposed legislative actions focused on areas such as electricity, transportation, and buildings, which would allow the state to reduce co2 emissions and lessen the growing climate threat. while increased regulations have been enacted in the last year, the state is still not investing enough to contribute to national co2 emission reductions and is primarily focused on infrastructure projects to protect land from the storms.

as tropical storms, ones less severe than sandy, have passed through connecticut since 2012, the water levels have been alarming. the environmental defense fund reported that the average global sea level has increased by half a foot since 1900. this suggests that storm surges during hurricanes, when waters rise above normal levels and are pushed inland by wind, will occur more frequently. the sea level around bridgeport, a town in connecticut, has already increased by five inches since 1964 and continues to rise even faster than before, reports sealevelrise.org.  

coastal communities feel the pressure

bridgeport, the largest city in my district, is also the most densely populated, with the greatest diversity of ethnic backgrounds in connecticut. unfortunately, the department of housing and urban development reports that if measures are not taken this city will flood regularly by 2100. critical infrastructure, such as train lines, hospitals, sewage plants and airports are greatly threatened, and many residents feel that the only thing they can do is hope these buildings can face the fury of the storm. this community is still recovering with help from the state after ida, a hurricane that hit over a year ago. with low income families concentrated in this area, the state will need to come to their aid again and again, but if the entire connecticut population is soon in turmoil from recurring hurricanes, resources will start to spread thin.

with 61% of the state’s population located in coastal communities prone to flooding, vulnerability to hurricanes is widespread and only increasing. the connecticut department of energy and environmental protection projects that by 2080 the state may lose 24,000 acres of land from sea level rise. consequently, people will be left to move inland or live in high-risk homes that may be treacherous during a hurricane. 

when i think of how my mom lives on her own next to the ocean, i feel a sudden uneasiness. with the growing threat of storms, she must choose between moving out of our family home or feeling endangered every time a hurricane warning is issued.  

the national climate assessment has detailed that 32% of northern and mid-atlantic beaches will over-wash due to intense nor-easter type storms. the risk of towns transforming into wreckage will only increase if global warming continues at this pace since this number rises to over 80% if the hurricane is category 4 or higher, the type of hurricane that increases in correlation with global warming. while the state implements protection from the imminent storms, reversing climate change should be the real goal, so we are not continuously living in fear. we should be working toward solutions to global warming rather than just spending on infrastructure to reduce devastating damage. 

both the increase in temperature and the wild swings in precipitation have a significant impact on the soil, said dr. margaret walsh, a senior ecologist in the u.s. department of agriculture’s office of energy and environmental policy.

“for pretty much any crop, yields go up as the temperature goes up, until a certain point when it goes down fast,” said walsh. this increase in yields is also assuming that the nutritional deficiencies and amount of rainwater are sufficient, which often is not the case. 

soil nutrition is key

temperatures are not the only factor impacting crop yields. walsh highlighted that the long period of drought, followed by the heavy rain events, have also led to soil erosion. as a result, according to experts, soils are depleted and unable to sustain abundant yields, and even affect the crop’s nutritional levels. 

“soil erosion degrades the soil, meaning that the soil will lose most of its organic matter in the topsoil,” said dr. richard anyah, a natural resources and environment professor at the university of connecticut. organic matter is important for the protection of water and nutrients reservoirs within the soil that animals, plants, and microorganisms need to grow. 

dr. anyah points out that the combination of an increase in water run-off and the disturbance of the soil will lead to a decrease in topsoil. “the increase in precipitation leads to more frequent floods. so, that will mean that we have more run-off, that especially will take away topsoil.”

these impacts did not remain unnoticed by local farmers. diane dorfer, owner and full-time farmer of the cobblestone farm, employs a variety of methods to keep her soil healthy and productive. 

dorfer uses compost and organic soil amendments to maintain high nutrient content in her soil, such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. these inputs were mainly agricultural byproducts like soybean meal and fish emulsion. with a smile on her face, she said her kids particularly liked the latter.

“when my kids were little, i would come into the house and smell not so great, and they would ask me: ‘what is that smell?’ and i am like, ‘fish emulsion.’ and they thought i was saying ‘fishy lotion.’ ‘oh, mom just put the fishy lotion on.’” 

another local farm employing similar practices is spring valley student farm. it is a one-acre vegetable garden owned by uconn dining services and run by uconn students. jessica larkin-wells, farm manager and old inhabitant of the student farm, explained that soil health was of high importance. 

“as an educational farm, we have the opportunity to pay a lot of good care and attention to our soil health,” said larkin-wells. “that is a central part of our mission. we can center that in a way commercial farms are not always able to.”

like cobblestone farm, they use organic inputs instead of chemical fertilizers. they also try to keep the soil covered to avoid soil erosion and nutrients loss due to long-term exposure.

“we never leave the soil exposed. there is always something like either cover crop, mulch, or whatever our vegetable crop at the time is,” larkin-wells said. “cover crops are an extremely important part of our growing rotation here and can do some pretty amazing things for the soil.” 

she defined cover crops as anything that is grown in the soil not to be harvested. they can prevent erosion, maintain nitrogen levels, or increase aeration in the soil. dr. anyah explains that nitrogen is important for the plant to develop healthy and more nutritious fruits. without these high levels, the nutritious levels of crop yields will be limited. 

changing temperatures, increasing pests

similarly, to protect their soil, both farmers do not use any damaging chemicals to fight increasing pests. according to walsh, the increased pest population is an example of an indirect effect of changes in temperature and precipitation. every vegetable is impacted by insect pressure, making them harder to sell. many bigger farms use aggressive pesticides to fight these infestations. 

dorfer used two different methods instead: insect-inclusion netting to cover some of her vegetables, and an organic pesticide to disrupt the molting cycle of larva. she explains that this organic pesticide is very specific. it will not affect the soil or any important pollinators like bees, just the larva growing on the plants. the adults will survive but their reproduction cycle will stop, limiting the hungry larva on crops. 

at spring valley student farm they scout and pick the insects by hand, and spray their vegetables with garlic spray. this is a mixture of garlic water and soap, to make each plant less attractive for animals. 

when confronted with the question of the future and the concern of climate change, both farmers seemed confident they would be fine, if they continue the methods described above. however, they also realized climate change is unpredictable. in the words of dorfer: 

“every year gives me more experience, expands my database, and i do adjust.”  

mansfield, connecticut – confronted by the growing unpredictability of precipitation patterns caused by climate change, small-scale connecticut farmers are facing significant losses. but they are learning to adapt their practices and focusing on maintaining soil conditions.

dr. michael dietz is the director of the connecticut institute of water resources and an extension educator for the university of connecticut’s extension program. he explained in an interview that tracking the flow levels of connecticut streams and rivers over the past three years shows extreme variation in summer rain levels.

“we’re still in a moderate drought, but the swing we’ve taken is dramatic,” dietz said. “there was a drought two years ago, last summer was a wet summer with huge rains and record high flow levels for streams and rivers, and this summer again the drought has brought record low flow levels.”

local farmers have had to adapt their agricultural practices in accordance with these varying precipitation rates. this includes the spring valley student farm, a collaboration with the university of connecticut’s residential life, dining services and ecohouse learning community.

“it’s so nice now that it rains,” said jessica larkin-wells, the farm manager at spring valley student farm, in an interview detailing the “brutal” growing season the farm faced due to the recent drought.

spring valley student farm occupies a one-acre plot of land, owned by uconn. the small farm handles drought by building their soil to resist variable precipitation ahead of time, larkin-wells said. this protects their crops against both drought and extremely heavy rain, before either occurs.

larkin-wells explained that spring valley student farm plants at the bottom of a hill to better collect water runoff. they also use organic practices and keep their soil covered at all times. these practices help to maintain overall soil health, she said.

“we also use a cover crop that is not for harvest and use compost on our soil,” larkin-wells said.

however, many of these methods are expensive practices, she said, and spring valley student farm can only afford them because the farm is entirely funded by uconn’s dining services.

“we can build up our soil health each year because we don’t have to break even; we’re an educational farm,” larkin-wells said. “it is expensive to maintain moisture in your soil; it is expensive to even stand a chance of surviving a drought like this.”

other farmers in the area are forced to find other ways of maintaining some sense of financial stability while also having to deal with varying precipitation levels. diane dorfer, owner of cobblestone farm in mansfield, connecticut, is in this situation currently.

cobblestone farm relies on a community supported agriculture (csa) system where customers pay up front for a share of the season’s harvest, dorfer said. the csa spans about 20 weeks during which it provides fresh produce for members.

csa members at cobblestone farm pay either $400 for a half share or $780 for a full share, dorfer said in an interview at her farm. a half share feeds about two people, and a full share feeds three to four people. some vegetables included in the csa are pick-your-own and others are pre-harvested prior to pick up. csa members may choose from one of three days each week when they can pick up their produce, dorfer said.

a csa arrangement provides a financial cushion for farmers like dorfer.

“the csa cuts out variability in income, which is good for me because, frankly, shit can happen,” dorfer said.

dorfer acknowledged that paying up front before the harvest may seem like a risk to the consumer. nonetheless, she said, “it has never happened that csa members have not gotten the full value of their share.”

no local farmer escaped the drought this year. all experienced detrimental effects on their growing season, despite finding ways to work around the lack of precipitation.

“we’re not going to get the growing season back,” said larkin-wells, describing spring valley student farm’s losses this harvest season.

dorfer also expressed difficulties with watering her crops this season. she said she stopped planting earlier than usual, and will therefore have fewer fall crops and fewer crops in general for farmer’s markets this fall.

“there comes a point where you have to decide what to water,” said dorfer, also explaining her increased costs of irrigation this season. she is not the only person in the field of agriculture noting increased expenses nowadays.

margaret walsh is a senior ecologist at the united states department of agriculture. in a presentation, she said farmers continue to incur increased costs to combat drought.

“climate change trends require that farmers learn to adapt,” walsh said. “there are a lot of adaptations or options that farms can do, but this doesn’t make them cheap.”

farmers throughout the nation – and even on a global level – are learning to change their practices, often with expensive agricultural tools or methods, said dietz, whose work at the water resources institute has informed his perspective on innovations in agriculture.

“added heat in the atmosphere is beginning to impact our food supply and part of the problem is learning to adapt to that now,” dietz said. “for example, in connecticut, farmers in the past didn’t need to rely on watering their crops through means other than precipitation; now they have to learn and implement other irrigation techniques almost immediately.”

however, farms like spring valley student farm that are not reliant on a profit, or like cobblestone farm that benefit from the added financial security of a csa, are better able to adapt to varying levels of precipitation. both larkin-wells and dorfer said their growing seasons were not complete losses.

“the fact that we had anything still grow this season despite the drought is an illustration of what healthy soil can do,” larkin-wells said.