1.   It effectively spread the disease all over the continent and drastically reduced the rabbit population.

2.   It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to this disease, so that the rabbit population was unlikely to be completely exterminated.

3.   Ferrets and weasels, both introduced to try to cut down the rabbit population in most of New Zealand, never made it to Ulva.

4.   But scientists disdained fears that the virus could spread, noting it has attacked rabbit populations in China and Europe without any apparent mutations.

5.   The RCD virus spreads rapidly through rabbit populations, and in the right conditions is known to kill entire infestations of the feral pests.

6.   The regions all have huge wild rabbit populations.

7.   The spread of a killer rabbit virus smuggled into New Zealand by farmers threatened by burgeoning wild rabbit populations on their lands has been legalized by the Government.

8.   The virus spreads rapidly through rabbit populations, causing death by internal hemorrhaging, and in the right conditions is known to kill entire infestations of the feral pests.

9.   Accidental destruction of the rabbit population would also destroy the livelihoods of an army of professional rabbit hunters, and many rabbit meat supply companies, officials say.