Myoxmatosis is a disease which has been used in the past as a method of controlling rabbit infestations. It is an extremely cruel disease which causes intense pain. However, in the 1950s it was used illegally in France and as a result has spread across the rest of Europe.
What is Myxomatosis?
Myxomatosis is a potentially fatal disease affecting rabbits. It causes immense pain and suffering to the animal. Pain relief can be given, and infections can be treated with veterinary care, but frequently the animal will die.
Occasionally another disease called pasteurellosis is mistaken for myxomatosis, but the main difference is that pasteurellosis is treatable, and pasteurellosis can be spread to other rabbits through mating. Pasteurellosis is an infection which can be treated with antibiotics, and/or surgery, but this can be extremely costly. When a rabbit contracts myxi it is recommended that the rabbit is put to sleep (euthanized) as antibiotics do not have any impact on myxomatosis.
Myxomatosis is a visibly noticeably disease. The animal will appear swollen and distended around the genitalia and around the head, the rabbit will also contract conjunctivitis which may cause loss of sight. The animal will suffer from a loss of appetite and tiredness, then will develop pneumonia, a very high fever, and will usually die within 2 – 10 days of contracting myxi. However, rabbits are slowly developing a natural immunity to myxomatosis, and as a result the disease only kills roughly 50% of affected rabbits.
Myxomatosis does not solely affect rabbits. The Spanish lynx is virtually extinct due to the fact that its main diet is rabbit. The deterioration of the number of rabbits has caused starvation to the Spanish lynx.
The myxoma virus is spread by mosquitoes, flies or fleas that have been feeding on a rabbit with the virus, or by direct contact with the animal itself.
Prevention of Myxomatosis
Pet rabbits can be vaccinated against myxomatosis. This vaccine is available in most countries worldwide, with the exception of Australia where the vaccine is illegal due to the fact that it is thought to build up a rabbit's immunity to myxi, and this could be passed on to wild rabbits. As stated above, in Europe many rabbits are managing to survive the infection, with almost 50% surviving. The lack of mosquitoes in most of Europe also reduces the spread of myxi.
Myxomatosis rabbit disease frequently causes death and always causes pain and suffering. It is highly contagious, and due to this is commonly used to reduce the wild rabbit population. It is occasionally spread to pet rabbits, and the normal recommendation is to euthanize the rabbit to prevent any further suffering.
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