s ▁isolated ▁location ▁has ▁simultaneously ▁lead ▁to ▁fewer ▁p ests ▁and ▁an ▁agricult ure ▁industry ▁with ▁a ▁greater ▁sus cept ibility ▁to ▁introduced ▁dise ases ▁and ▁p ests . ▁A ▁major ▁concern ▁for ▁New ▁Zealand ▁far mers ▁is ▁the ▁rapidly ▁growing ▁wild ▁rabb it ▁population . ▁Wild ▁rabb its ▁have ▁been ▁an ▁agricult ural ▁since ▁their ▁introduction ▁to ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁They ▁cause ▁significant ▁damage ▁to ▁farm ▁lands : ▁e ating ▁the ▁grass , ▁cro ps , ▁and ▁causing ▁soil ▁de grad ation . ▁Many ▁far mers ▁are ▁wor ried ▁about ▁their ▁liv elihood s ▁and ▁the ▁effects ▁that ▁the ▁rabb its ▁will ▁have ▁on ▁food ▁supply ▁and ▁trade , ▁as ▁their ▁numbers ▁are ▁quickly ▁growing ▁out ▁of ▁control . ▁An ▁illegal ▁rabb it - k illing ▁virus ▁called ▁the ▁rabb it ▁ha emor rh ag ic ▁disease ▁virus ▁( R HD V ) ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁vig il ante ▁far mers , ▁and ▁was ▁very ▁effective ▁initially . ▁After ▁twenty ▁years , ▁however , ▁the ▁rabb its ▁became ▁imm une ▁to ▁it . ▁A ▁new ▁stra in ▁of ▁the ▁virus ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁a ▁Korean ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁stra in ▁called ▁the ▁K 5 ▁virus , ▁or ▁R HD V 1 - K 5 . ▁This ▁virus ▁was ▁introduced ▁with ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁ex termin ating ▁ 4 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁rabb it ▁population . ▁The ▁new