Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a highly contagious viral disease of both domestic and wild rabbits. The infection is rapid and in a very short time leads to the injury of some of internal organs and as a consequence to the death of animals. The aim of this study was to detect RHDV in the blood and organs of infected rabbits by different diagnostic methods. The rabbits were experimentally infected by subcutaneous inoculation. Using haemaglutination (HA) and ELISA tests the RHDV antigen was detected in organs at 26-38 hours post infection (h.p.i.). The application of RT-PCR and n-PCR resulted in the identification of viral genome as early as at 7-9 h.p.i. By using ELISA assay it was possible to detect RHDV in blood from the 20 h.p.i., 5-7 hours before the death of the animals. The obtained results confirmed the usefulness of the applied diagnostic techniques for the detection of RHDV in clinical samples.