Sign of Myxomatosis?

[ellen h]

Came across this rabbit at Hadleigh country park.
Looks like the sign of myxomatosis-am I right?
If so its come earlier this year,suppose the hot weather is a factor.....
ellen

[Words]

It looks like it to me, but I'm not an expert. We had an outbreak locally a month or so ago, but it remained fairly localised (lower valley was stricken, but just up the hill they were fine). Hideous disease

[ellen h]

Originally Posted by Words

It looks like it to me, but I'm not an expert. We had an outbreak locally a month or so ago, but it remained fairly localised (lower valley was stricken, but just up the hill they were fine). Hideous disease

Yes its a nasty disease,dread walking through the park and seeing the suffering some of the rabbits go through.Have had to despatch a few-kindest thing to do
ellen

[Wild-Woman]

Yes it does look like it, having lost domestic rabbits to it. It's a horrid disease which makes the rabbit population crash some years. Fleas and gnats are the vectors for the illness, so it's important to get pet rabbits innoculated well before the peak times of these insects.

[salukiwhippet]

Looks like it's recovering from mixy to me. I catch a fair few with bald patches round the eyes where the fur hasn't grown back yet. Quite a lot of rabbits survive it now, and obviously the proportion is increasing.


James

[Beekeeper]

Unfortunately, in my area Railtrack or whatever they call themselves these days are known to contaminate rabbits with Mixi as they do a lot of damage to the railway by undermining the embankments.

BK

[salukiwhippet]

That's both morally indefensible and illegal Beekeeper, if it really is known rather than just a rumour, then they should be reported to NE!

James

[Ciderpuss]

I agree this is illegal & very wrong, I know this is a dodgy topic but there are other far more effective & efficient ways of getting rid of rabbits if they really are causing a problem.
I am certainly not saying I condone this behaviour though!!

[Beekeeper]

Originally Posted by salukiwhippet

That's both morally indefensible and illegal Beekeeper, if it really is known rather than just a rumour, then they should be reported to NE!

James

More than just a rumour salukiwhippet, it was common knowledge amongst railway workers a few of which live locally.

It was quite obvious really, whenever an outbreak of Mixi occured, the first rabbitts infected always lived alongside the railway line, others in areas away from the railway remain unaffected.

Yes i know it is illegal but that didn't stop them doing it, as the cost of rabbit damage repairs to railway property were quite high.

To introduce suffering to animals which could be disposed of in other painless ways is disgusting.

I really would like to provide proof of what has been happening to the authorities but short of actually filming them doing it, there is no way of providing the proof needed.

The one good thing is that rabbitts are fighting back by geting an immunity to Mixi, not so many years ago they would have died a horrible blind death.

BK

[The Woodman]

I agree with salukiwhippets view that the image in ellen h's first post appears to recovering from the disease. It looks fairly bright and alert and could be in the process of recovering the inflamed tissue around the eyes.

The Pests Act 1954 says
Spreading of myxomatosis - A person shall be guilty of an offence if he knowingly uses or permits the use of a rabbit infected with myxomatosis to spread the disease among uninfected rabbits and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds or, if he has been previously convicted of such an offence, a fine not exceeding fifty pounds:
Provided that this section shall not render unlawful [F1any procedure duly authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986].

[valleyforge]

I'm somewhat sceptical about rumours that Railtrack, or someone acting at their direction, could have deliberately infected embankment-dwelling rabbits with the myxoma virus.

I'm pretty sure you can't just buy 500ml of an active viral agent at your local pharmacy, on e-Bay, or even from Porton Down research facility ...

The only practical way of introducing the virus to rabbits, is to expose them to already-infected rabbits from elsewhere (transmission is via biting insects, normally the rabbit flea).

So that would entail introducing even more rabbits to an area defined as having a rabbit problem, in the hope that maybe the existing population of rabbits doesn't already have some immunity from the virus.

That's not exactly a fool-proof business plan, and not one I'd have much confidence getting past my bank manager.

Sometimes 'common knowledge' is spread, virus-like, from an initial supposition or rumour, until the truth of the matter can become undiscernible from myth.

The number and severity of myxomatosis outbreaks varies over time; the myxomatosis virus is notorious for its ability to mutate from year to year and the background immunity in the wild rabbit population also varies.

So most likely, the localized naturally occurring outbreak(s) adjacent to the railway property was just misinterpreted as something more sinister, by those folks who weren't in possession of the full facts, or able (or willing) to see the bigger picture ... it's how most conspiracy theories start.

[ellen h]

I agree with salukiwhippets view that the image in ellen h's first post appears to recovering from the disease. It looks fairly bright and alert and could be in the process of recovering the inflamed tissue around the eyes

.

That could be the case then
Must admit I have not seen any other rabbits infected in the area either
ellen