Myxomatosis

[Country Girl]

I was just wondering about the introduction of Myxotmatosis to Britain. I understand it came to Britain in 1953 but have seen a number of different reasons on why it was introduced. Was it introduced by the government to control numbers? Or did it somehow accidently arrive here from France?

[STYRBJORN]

Myxy was and is an endemic disease in East African rabbits, where it is rarely fatal, the rabbits having developed resistance. It was first introduced in Australia in an attempt to control the rabbit population explosion. Same old, by the way. Introduced species undergoes exponential growth, destroying habitat of native species, becoming major pest.

The population, having no resistance, initially fell dramatically. It was introduced to the UK without waiting to observe long term results in Oz.
Ain't hindsight wonderful? 20/20 avery time. Of course there was a small proportion of the population with innate resistance. Of course they servived to pass on the resistance to their offspring. Of course the population growth resumed.

There was perhaps some excuse then. MRSA shows that the human race is deternined to learn nothing from experience.

"They who will not learn from history are destined to repeat it." Spinoza

Bit if a rant there I fear.

Ric

[Jonathan]

Originally Posted by Country Girl

I was just wondering about the introduction of Myxotmatosis to Britain. I understand it came to Britain in 1953 but have seen a number of different reasons on why it was introduced. Was it introduced by the government to control numbers? Or did it somehow accidently arrive here from France?

Myxy was first seen in laboratory rabbits in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1896. It was the equivalent to a common cold in humans to the South American strain of rabbits, but was lethal to their European counterparts. The disease hit Australia in 1951 when it 'escaped' from trial sites in the Murray-Darling Basin. In 1952 it was deliberately introduced into an estate on the outskirts of Paris. By the autumn of 1953 it had arrived in Kent.

I don't think anyone is quite sure how the disease arrived in the UK, though farmers were certainly guilty of spreading it once it reached these shores. I seem to remember R. M. Lockley, author of 'The Private life of the Rabbit' admitting to accidentally spreading the disease in the early days, through fleas in the boot of his car if I remember correctly??

Cheers
Jonathan

[Country Girl]

Thank you both for your help