Everything you need to know about myxomatosis

23 April 2007

Everything you need to know about myxomatosis

What is myxomatosis?

Myxomatosis is a viral disease affecting rabbits. First seen in Uruguay, it was used in Australia in a deliberate attempt to control rabbits. When it was brought into Britain 50 years ago, by mistake, myxomatosis decimated the wild rabbit population. Pet rabbits are also vulnerable to this disease and every year outbreaks are reported throughout the UK.

How would my pet catch myxomatosis?

Myxomatosis is spread by blood sucking insects such as fleas and mosquitoes. These blood suckers pick up the disease when they bite an infected rabbit and spread it by biting susceptible rabbits. The virus is transferred to the skin when the rabbit is bitten and from here, the virus spreads to the blood where it multiplies rapidly.

How do I know if my rabbit has caught myxomatosis?

Myxomatosis has very obvious symptoms;

· The first signs of myxomatosis are swollen eyelids, lips and ears

· Puffy swellings around the anus and genitalia.

· Within a day or so, swellings become so severe that they can cause blindness and distortion around the face.

· Acute disease is associated with a high fever and rabbits will stop eating and drinking within a few days.

· In many cases, bacterial respiratory infection complicates the disease, encouraging the onset of pneumonia.

How can I prevent my pet from catching myxomatosis?

The disease can be controlled by two main methods;

Vaccination

The best protection owners can give their pet is via vaccination. Your local vet can vaccinate all healthy, non-pregnant rabbits over the age of six weeks, with regular boosters given every six months.

Controlling insects

Keep your rabbit away from wild rabbits
Use insecticidal treatments such as shampoos and repellents, which will control fleas and lessen the likelihood of bites
If you use hay in the hutch, buy this from a reputable location where you can be sure there is no local myxomatosis problem. Fleas can live in hay for months.
Fit an insect screen to an outside hutch to keep them safe from insects throughout the warmer months.