myxomatosis in Rabbits

[Stomperone]

Until yesterday I believed this was a thing of the past I have now realised it has not simply gone away.. I found a warren which was seemed to be totally infected ..

I thought that perhaps it was the "must do" thing to report a case to someone..
After several phone calls to people passing me on to someone else I found out from Defra that basically no one is responsible for disease control and it is not neccesary to report it..

I was very surprised seing how it decimated the rabbit population in the 60's and 70's. I have posetd a few photos to show how these creatures are suffing - If you dont like seeing suffering animals plz don't look..

I really do not understand why there is no control of these diseased animals at all

[captaincarot]

the thing is it decimated a population of a species which is considered a pest.
the best thing that could happen to those particular rabbits is a quick death to a stoat or a fox.

[charlieb]

Originally Posted by Stomperone

I really do not understand why there is no control of these diseased animals at all

For the simple reason that nobody makes any money from rabbits and it doesn't affect any other (commerical) organism or activity.

[valleyforge]

This is a terrible virus Stomperone, and hasn't ever gone away ... it recurrs annually, and is spread through fleas and other biting insects.

Although some populations of rabbits have/had developed some level of immunity, like all viruses, the myxoma virus tends to mutate and so can reinfect those rabbits that may have become desensitized to an earlier strain.

The disease itself cannot be cured (although domestic rabbits which are of course also susceptible can be protected by vaccination) ... the symptoms can be treated, often successfully.

The main manifestation of the virus is a purulent conjunctivitis which inflames the eyes and the tissue around them, and later causes abscesses around the ears, head, nose, and anogenital region.

Although the rabbits will try to continue feeding and drinking, the blindness and impairment to hearing usually causes them to fall easy victim to predators or to road traffic.

Treatment therefore involves keeping the eyes & nose free from mucous, whilst ensuring they are maintained in a safe, stress-free environment (well away from healthy rabbits of course).

The disease tends to run its course in about 20 days ... any rabbits which have survived that period without permanent eye damage can be presumed to have developed at least partial immunity and can be prepared for release.

The rabbit unfortunately lacks sufficient champions among the human population, and it's unfortunately true that many folk don't even value its presence in british ecology, even though its an undoubted major link in the food chain of so many of our indigenous species.

[charlieb]

Originally Posted by valleyforge

don't even value its presence in british ecology, even though its an undoubted major link in the food chain of so many of our indigenous species.

The rabbit has been in Britain for a few hundred years - our indigenous fauna has survived for much longer without it. Which begs the question what did they eat before the rabbit arrived?

Does anyone know of any studies relating to rabbit populations due to myxomatosis and (for instance) bird of prey populations?

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by charlieb

The rabbit has been in Britain for a few hundred years - our indigenous fauna has survived for much longer without it. Which begs the question what did they eat before the rabbit arrived?

A couple of thousand years, Charlie, the Romans introduced them. But I take your point!

Dave P.

[Meta menardi]

I understand that the rabbit population spends much more time above ground and not using burrows, but when population gets to a certain treshold they start to use burrows and the disease is passed round the population by fleas on the ears. They rub against the top of the burrow, and so the disease starts to hit the popluation badly, the numbers fall... and round it goes. Certainly, I have noticed population build up then disease and a fall back to fairly low numbers.

My Dad was a great shooter of rabbits over 50 years ago, his descriptions of whole hillsides shooting off down burrows was quite dramatic. He shot with a silenced .22 rifle, and he said you could get sackfulls of them! They were a considerable problem, but the disease was a shocking way to control them.

[charlieb]

Originally Posted by pressld2

A couple of thousand years, Charlie, the Romans introduced them. But I take your point!

Well according to my source (Activities: The Mammal Society)...

They were introduced to Britain by the Normans in the 12th century

[valleyforge]

Originally Posted by charlieb

The rabbit has been in Britain for a few hundred years - our indigenous fauna has survived for much longer without it.

That wasn't exactly the point I was purporting charlieb, rather that we perhaps ought to see equal value in all present species, even if the role of that 'pest' species is to provide food for those species that we meantime appear to value more.

It's always somewhat unrealistic I feel, to want to 'freeze time' at some abritary point in deciding what is or isn't indigenous or native. For me, 'native' simply means it was born here ... that's good enough for me to value and tolerate its presence.

Ecosystems tend to evolve and develop naturally over time ... we only mess things up even further when we try too hard to correct the mistakes we've made earlier.

[charlieb]

Originally Posted by valleyforge

That wasn't exactly the point I was purporting charlieb

I know, I was just jumping off from your remark regarding indigenous species