DENVERScientists say there’s no need to be alarmed about a group of rabbits in Colorado that have hideous, hornlike growths that look like they belong in a low-budget horror movie because they only have a common virus.
The Shope papillomavirus, which creates wart-like growths that protrude from their faces like metastasizing horns, is the cause of the cottontails that were recently sighted in Fort Collins.
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A flurry of disparaging nicknames, such as Frankenstein bunnies, demon rabbits, and zombie rabbits, have been sparked by viral images. However, their illness is not new; almost a century ago, the virus sparked scientific inquiry and inspired ancient mythology.
Among other animal variations, the virus probably impacted the centuries-old North American jackalope myth, which described a rabbit with horns or antlers. The illness in rabbits also helped researchers understand how viruses, like the human HPV that causes cervical cancer, can cause cancer.
In honor of Dr. Richard E. Shope, a scientist at The Rockefeller University who identified the disease in cottontails in the 1930s, the virus in rabbits was given its name.
When locals in Fort Collins, which is 65 miles (105 kilometers) north of Denver, began seeing rabbits around town and sharing photos, news of the sightings began to circulate.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has been receiving calls on the rabbits spotted in Fort Collins, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
However, she stated that seeing infected rabbits is not unusual, particularly during the summer when the fleas and ticks that transmit the virus are most active. She explained that while the virus can pass from rabbit to rabbit, it cannot infect humans or pets.
According to Van Hoose, the growths resemble warts, but if they get longer, they may resemble horns. The growths don’t hurt rabbits unless they get in their mouths or eyes and make it difficult for them to feed. According to her, the growths will go away once the rabbits’ immune systems have had a chance to combat the infection.
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Finley reported from Virginia’s Norfolk.
