Myxamatosis in Rabbits

[colinaj]

Myxamatosis is a terrible disease affecting Rabbits. This autumn has seen an increase in the illness in the Lothingland District of Suffolk where I carry out my studies. Many dead or dying adults have been seen and when possible seriously affected animals have been humanely killed.
Whoever invented this disease wants a good dose of his own medicine.

I remember being on the Brecks with Ted Ellis in the 1970's when whole fields used to be covered in them.
Caj

[chunkychambers]

My nephews are experts at ferreting and are used regularly by the local farmers when rabbits become a nuisance.
We find that Myxi seems to come and go, is it regenerative, but you're right it is horrible

[Wild-Woman]

The use of myxi also had an effect on butterflies in a round about way. The death of rabbits meant that many areas that were cropped regularly by them, became uninhabitable for many species of butterflies.
I've lost several rabbits to myxi, even after immunisation in late summer.
It's a horrible, horrible disease and wish it never had been used as a method of control.
Julie

[Boddie]

Gill, Pete and I saw a few this weekend in Norfolk. I never saw it before and was quite distressed to see how badly the rabbits eyes looked.

[Wild-Woman]

Two of my rabbits have survived after a great deal of nursing but one actually lost the little twitchy bit of his nose. Mossies and fleas pass the disease on, so if it's been a good year for them, then myxi will get a grip again sadly.

[paulthomas]

I saw a rabbit with myxi last year. Not nice

[Tormentil]

Originally Posted by colinaj

Whoever invented this disease wants a good dose of his own medicine.

A baby rabbit
With eyes full of pus
This is the work
Of scientific us

Spike Milligan, who wrote the above, was, like most people, under the impression that myxomatosis is a "man made" disease. Not so. Have a look here for the history of the disease in the UK.

[paulinemiller10]

Yes I saw a rabbit with myxi here in Wales last year, saw it sitting in a park, poor thing, I could nt do anything as I have nine pet bunz at home, so did nt go near it and washed my shoes when I came home, its a very cruel disease, the poor animals can t see or hear, so don t know where they are, and can t find food, and must feel so poorly. Pauline.

[werdnal]

One of our cats brought in a "myxi'd" rabbit a couple years ago. We came down one morning to find it sitting in the middle of the room, obviously blind. Got my hubby to put him out of his misery. Around the same time our neighbour found one sitting in the middle of the road, and similarly dispatched it.

Luckily we don't seem to have it here at the moment, but I'm sure it will come back. I'd like to think our high population of local buzzards pick off the sick ones before they suffer too much.

[Earth Hart]

It was Myxamatosis, along with pesticides etc, that caused the crash in the Buzzard population back in the '50s & '60s. Let's hope it doesn't happen again.