Myxomatosis

Lizzie · Myxomatosis

Penny-the-bonkers-lurcher killed a rabbit the other day, and I'm almost certain it had myxy. Once she'd dropped it and it had stopped twitching, I had a look and it's eyes were all gummed up and scabby. It didn't move when she first galloped over to it - just sat there while she inspecting it closely from head to foot with her nose (that bit was quite funny actually - she had her best perplexed-dog look on). It certainly wasn't a well rabbit

I thought myxy was a thing of the past? Does this mean that all the rabbit around our way are going to get it, or could it have been something else?

muntjac

the rabbits in your area already have it and will have for at least 16 weeks ,it will slowly dissapear now as winter comes on and the animals die . if the temperature drops sufficiently ,myxy has been around since the 50s and will be for the next century at least until someone gets to make an antidote to it or the rabbits become completly immune this is spread by the rabbit flea feeding on the rabit and passing the virus on , i find that it breaks out sporadically all over the estate i work and the jobs i attend ,young kits can become sick and recover from it and then pass the imunity on in further breeding what causes the death of a myxy rabbit is not the disease it is the resulting starvation as the animal becomes weak and unable to see to feed.
PLEASE NOTE there is no cure for it and pet rabbits can catch it and any vet saying he can help you is conning you into buying antibiotics etc for the rabbit and it will die anyway . people who find myxy rabbits should if they can break its neck ,or take a large stick and kill it by hitting it acros the sholders in a downward motion cruching its rib cage and heart the suffering it will have alive is worse than you killing it , the fleas can be carried on your clothes and carried home and transfered to pets ,they do not affect cats or dogs etc

Cabbagepatch

I don't know any scientific details. But the last two years myxie has been rife around this area. Ihad to stop walking the dogs in certain areas because bunnies were suffering everywhere. Too ill to move and clearly suffering. I didn't have the courage to put them out of their misery.

I felt awful to leave them as they were. Crying or Very sad

Lizzie

Thanks for the explanation muntjac - I hadn't seen myxy for so long that I wondered if it could have been something else (wishful thinking I expect...). It does make me feel a bit sick that this disease was deliberately introduced, seeing as it makes them suffer so badly.

There are no pet rabbits anywhere near us, so that's not a concern, but could it affect hares? There are a lot of them on the farm and I'd hate to think that they could get it too.

There's no way I could bring myself to kill a rabbit, even though I know I really, really should. I'm not especially squeamish (I'm more than happy to prepare and cook meat for OH, so long as it's been properly reared) but one of the reasons why I've been vegetarian for 25 years is that I personally don't feel able to eat something if I can't kill it myself.

I don't mind if the dog gets them - she's spent all her life trying to catch healthy rabbits and hares and failing dismally, for all she's part greyhound, so I guess if she gets one, she's doing it a favour really.

muntjac

European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) is not the same as a rabbit even though they are both lagamorphs but hares can catch the virus /i believe it is because they do not lived in the confines of burrows.
can i point you to this site for loads of good info on what is running around your nieghbourhood
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/mission.shtml

Becki

There is Myxy round Cirencester way, too at the mo.

muntjac

incidently there is a new disease in rabbits .vhd viral hemmoragic disease. the rabbits bleed to death and once again its man that has brought this about

more reading
Rabbit Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (VHD) is a highly contagious disease caused by a calicivirus. Rabbits of the Oryctolagus cuniculus species (including wild and domesticated European rabbits) are the only rabbits affected. VHD is also known as RHD (Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease), RCV (Rabbit Calicivirus), and RCD (Rabbit Calicivirus Disease).
First seen in China in 1984, VHD is now seen in many Asian countries, most of Europe, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. A large outbreak occurred in Mexico in 1988 but has been eradicated. In April 2000, the first reported occurrence of the disease in the United States was confirmed in Iowa. It appeared in a backyard rabbitry of 27 pet rabbits (Palominos and California Whites) in March 2000. By April, 25 of the 27 rabbits died and the remaining two were euthanized as a control measure. This outbreak appears to have been confined to this single rabbitry. The origin of the outbreak is still unknown. Another outbreak in Utah is currently being investigated.

Symptoms of VHD include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, spasms, and sudden death, although some rabbits may die without showing any symptoms. Up to 90% of affected rabbits may die from the disease which progresses rapidly (death occurs approximately 1-3 days after infection). The virus is very hardy (remaining viable in the environment for 105 days at room temperature and 225 days at 39ºF) and can be transmitted by contact with infected rabbits or their excreta, rabbit products, insects and rodents (mechanical transmission), and contaminated objects. Rabbits that survive the disease may become carriers and spread it to other rabbits. There is no cure for VHD. Killed virus vaccines have been developed and used in countries where the disease is endemic but there is currently no vaccine available in the United States.

There are several things you can do to protect your rabbits from VHD.

Bring your rabbits indoors or keep them in an enclosed environment. Any rabbit in contact with the outdoors is more at risk, as compared to an indoor rabbit, for contracting the disease.

Minimize insects where rabbits are housed.

Wash you hands before handling rabbits, especially when you have been places other rabbits may have been or with people that have contact with rabbits.

Wash your clothes and shoes after coming in contact with rabbits.

Quarantine a new rabbit for five days and keep their supplies separate from the other rabbits' supplies.

Regularly clean and disinfect the rabbits' environment.

Where available, get your rabbit(s) vaccinated and maintain boosters.

Rabbit Viral Hemorrhagic Disease is highly contagious, hardy, and deadly. Although it does not infect humans or other animals, it moves swiftly among rabbits with deadly results (in 1995, a laboratory accident in Australia caused the virus to be released and it killed 10 million rabbits in 8 weeks). If you witness unexplained and suspicious rabbit deaths (especially in groups of rabbits in a short period of time), notify your veterinarian immediately. He/She will report this and give you proper handling procedures for the possibly infected rabbits. Educating yourself and others about VHD, prevention, and available vaccines can help your pet as well as millions of other rabbits.