"In my view, the release of RCD would be extremely dangerous, and its possible consequences totally unpredictable."
-Professor Esteban Domingo (Professor of research at the Spanish Research Council)

"Viruses and rabbits (and cane toads) are all capable of genetic mutations and great diversity. The likely outcome for release of calicivirus will be calicivirus resistant rabbits and attenuated caliciviruses. These viruses will cause a dramatic (80-90%) drop in numbers in the short term, but things will return to 'normal' in a matter of a few years. The new generations will be resistant to the virus. The whole strategy is fallacious unless it is combined with the introduction of a new predator to redress the equilibrium. This is itself very unpredictable.....Release of exotic pathogens is an inherently risky undertaking".
Professor Leo Jeffcott, MA, BVet Med, PhD, FRCVS, DVSc (Dean of the Veterinary School, Cambridge University, UK)

"...the CSIRO experiments conducted to date provide no reasonable evidence that RHDV is species-specific."
David O. Matson, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics

"The activities of the Applicant Group have been an embarrassment to science."
David O. Matson, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics

"The available evidence is heavily weighted to indicate that RHD is not host specific, is a risk to other species, and could present a human health threat. To argue the current science of RHD otherwise...is begging a ride on a lead airplane shaped like a basketball."
Dr Alvin W. Smith, DVM, PhD. Head of Laboratory for Calicivirus Studies, Oregon State University.

From a submission by Dr David Matson to the NZ Government "Issue (4)
After just a year of exposure to the RHDV release program I am finding it hard to take the documents provided by the Applicant Group seriously. The Application Document and other documents are so full of half- truths, oversights, convoluted logic, inconsistencies, ignored literature, etc. that trying to comment on all the inadequacies is beyond anyone’s life desire. Just some examples:
a) I have been called "virophobic" [I have a Ph.D. in virology and work with viruses every day.],"ignorant of scientific method" [I have been funded by our National Institutes of Health continuously since my first year as a faculty member and have about 68 publications.], "out for the money" [Show me where there’s money in this process and I’ll go for it.], and "an expert on human caliciviruses, not rabbit calicivirus" [As if my experience with human caliciviruses is irrelevant]. After all, CSIRO’s total time of exposure to the rabbit calicivirus is half mine to other caliciviruses. [ I am a co-owner of patent rights describing the original methods for detecting caliciviruses as used by CSIRO.] These demeaning or marginalizing comments come from CSIRO SCIENTISTS. If I am so discredited, why cite my work in the Application Document?
b)Among other gems from the Applicant Group was the statement that it was safe for people to eat infected rabbits.
c)The "accidental" virus escape from Wardang Island actually was the SECOND escape from the study area. That no one was fired or publicly chastised, let along criminally prosecuted, for the second escape is a marker for prejudice against rational commentary on the RHDV release program.
'Far better a little with accurateness than a heap of rubbish carelessly thrown together." Edward Tyson, FRS (1651-1708)'."
David O. Matson, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics

"RHD introduction and spread presents a potentially dangerous disease situation for the livestock, wildlife, and people of Australia ... RHD should not be given official status because of compelling evidence against host specificity."
Dr Alvin W. Smith, DVM, PhD. Head of Laboratory for Calicivirus Studies, Oregon State University.

"Finally, concerning the confidence of Australian authorities on the "11 years field experience with rabbit calicivirus" and on the contributions of "more than thirty eminent specialists" published in the OIE Scientific and Technical Review (vol 10 no.2), I can only say that lack of evidence can not be used as an evidence of the lack of transmission of rabbit calicivirus to other animal species. I agree that no restrictions on the consumption of rabbit meat were placed but nobody had said that it was all right to eat rabbits that have died from RHD. Moreover since then most if not all industrial rabbit farms started to vaccinate their animals against RHD."
Professor Francisco Parra (Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oviedo, Spain

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