Myxomatosis about

Wild-Woman · #1 (**permalink**) 09-09-2010, 09:24 PM

Over the last couple of days I've seen acouple of rabbits clearly showing signs of myxi. It's such a horrible disease, very distressing for the rabbit and for the witness. Wish there was some way of eradicating it, nature would still redress a balance in population via a different means I'm sure.

We always seem to be hit hard in Kent. Anyone else seen any cases yet?

Littlesparrow · #2 (**permalink**) 09-09-2010, 10:10 PM

Not so far this year in Cheshire, but I will keep a lookout when I'm dog walking.

sunnydale · #3 (**permalink**) 10-09-2010, 07:25 AM

A couple of months ago, I was out walking around the Upper Derwent reservoir area (Derbyshire) and saw many rabbits with the disease, especially young ones.
Most were already dead but others weren't so lucky and were still suffering, their heads/eyes bulging and struggling to breathe.
My friend and I came across one in particular that was sat by the side of the path.
It was an awful sight and all I wanted to do was put it out of it's misery

I couldn't stop thinking about it for hours afterwards and kept thinking about going back and ending the lives of as many as I could find.

A very distressing day.

Tracey

Gill Catton · #4 (**permalink**) 10-09-2010, 07:54 AM

I grew up with there being wild rabbits in my parents garden and after a few years it seemed that Mxy outbreaks were cyclical. You'd get a population growing and growing and then Mxy would hit hard and take the population back down to two or three animals and the disease would seemingly vanish for a couple of years.

But I remember reading that all baby rabbits catch it and between 60 and 100% die as youngsters as a result.

A horrible thing.

asheleaf · #5 (**permalink**) 10-09-2010, 08:08 AM

saw a rabbit at lands end a couple of weeks ago very sick with it

Ashe

ellen h · #6 (**permalink**) 10-09-2010, 08:12 AM

Here in Essex(Hadleigh country park) I have come across five infected rabbits all in the same area and all adults.
Walk about 20 metres and the next warren appears to be unaffected.....

STYRBJORN · #7 (**permalink**) 10-09-2010, 11:30 AM

There's a lot about after the snow this winter. The rabbits have been confined in their burrows, huddled up together for warmth, making ideal conditions for the virus to spread.

Ric

Dogghound · #8 (**permalink**) 10-09-2010, 08:19 PM

None up here, the cold winter and dry summer have probably helped reduce its affects.

Farplace · #9 (**permalink**) 10-09-2010, 08:31 PM

Not a lot in Weardale at the moment, but this is probably a good time to remind people with pet rabbits to get them vaccinated against both Myxi and the other killer disease VHD. This is especially important if your rabbits live outside as they can catch these diseases more easily - and there is no cure.