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Colorado Rabbits Show Horn-Like Growths Caused by Shope Papilloma Virus
The Shope papilloma virus causes wart-like growths on rabbits in Colorado, spreading via insect bites and affecting over 200 animals, but it poses no risk to humans or pets.
- Rabbits in Fort Collins, Colorado, are showing alarming black, tentacle-like growths caused by cottontail rabbit papillomavirus .
- This viral condition spreads primarily through parasites like fleas and ticks and has appeared in multiple U.S. regions, including recent sightings in Colorado.
- Wildlife officials advise residents to avoid contact or handling, report sightings to authorities, and give infected rabbits space to prevent spreading the virus.
- The virus causes wart-like tumors that can hinder rabbits’ feeding and lead to starvation, while no cure exists and domestic rabbits risk more severe complications.
- These findings stress the importance of public awareness and monitoring to manage the virus’s impact on wild rabbit populations and protect pets from exposure.
174 Articles
174 Articles
There are rabbits living in Fort Collins who make a stir with unusual growths. A woman reports of black spines standing out around an animal's mouth.
Colorado's 'Frankenstein Bunnies' Are Nothing to Fear
A group of rabbits in Colorado with grotesque, hornlike growths may seem straight out of a low-budget horror film, but scientists say there's no reason to be spooked—the furry creatures merely have a relatively common virus. The cottontails recently spotted in Fort Collins are infected with the mostly harmless...
In the U.S. state of Colorado, several rabbits have appeared that grow black spines out of their heads. The tentacle-like tips come from a virus that is highly contagious to rabbits. Some animals even die. In the past few days, images of rabbits with strange black growths on their heads have appeared on social networks. These animals are infected with the Cottontail Papillomavirus. "The virus is mostly benign in rabbits," explains Kara Van Hoose…
The monstrous appearance of these rabbits infected with papillomavirus fascinates and disgusts Internet users.
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