bindi Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Myxamatosis, is this still a problem? I thought it had grown itself out, but I am still hearing of it, Can anyone let me know, it must be dodgy to eat myxy rabbits?? thanks bindi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 It is where you're going. Myxamatosis originated in Australia and was so successful, it was brought to the UK. It appears every year in most places here, but is not as widespread, or as virulent, as it once was. The bald patches and scarring around rabbits eyes, shows that more and more of them are recovering from infection. Like many diseases, it is the old and the young that appear most vunerable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyfirst Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Caught a mxyx rabbit yesterday. Gutted. I just hope that it doesn't spread too far round my permission! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Contrary to popular belief myxi hasn't gone away. Some rabbit populations appear to be resiliant to it but once a local population reaches a certain density it's very likely many will get it. Some will no doubt survive others won't. I don't believe myxi rabbits would be harmful to humans if eaten but the look of them when they have the disease is enough to put most people off. A couple of years back wasn't there an epidemic of some other rabbit disease, can't remember the name of it, but it was almost totally deadly to populations. A chap in Scotland who I used to shoot with lost his job as a rabbitter; had been killing upwards of 40000 (forty thousand) a year then all of a sudden nothing! We used to go lamping and kill a few hundred in an evening but when this stuff hit you'd be lucky to see a dozen rabbits let alone kill many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutty Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Bindi, I was once told by a vet that the most prevelant time for myxie outbreaks was during the autumn, and particularly a damp and warmish one, he also said there are two strains,both carried by Fleas, one of which is recoverable in younger and fitter Rabbits. He said it was the ideal conditions for the virus to breed, so i suppose it makes sense. The outbreak you speak of highlander, Was it not some form of virus that attacked internal organs? ,(if memory serves me right, others will remember its name) Rabbits that caught it went underground to dye a lingering death, hence why you never found any laid around, and whole collonies seamed to disapear overnight. thank goodness these outbreaks seem to be getting fewer and fewer. Well they do around here anyway. Regards Sutty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadeye ive Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 A old fella who goes lamping with me had a good explanation .........Basically where a population explosion of rabbits occurs they re- visit the old and vacant burrows which still house the flea that spread the myxy in the first place and the cycle repeats it self ........It's not laid down as some people think . I hope the poor little buggars develop a emunity in time ............More to shoot and more humane Ive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.17 hummer Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Contrary to popular belief myxi hasn't gone away. Some rabbit populations appear to be resiliant to it but once a local population reaches a certain density it's very likely many will get it. Some will no doubt survive others won't. I don't believe myxi rabbits would be harmful to humans if eaten but the look of them when they have the disease is enough to put most people off. A couple of years back wasn't there an epidemic of some other rabbit disease, can't remember the name of it, but it was almost totally deadly to populations. A chap in Scotland who I used to shoot with lost his job as a rabbitter; had been killing upwards of 40000 (forty thousand) a year then all of a sudden nothing! We used to go lamping and kill a few hundred in an evening but when this stuff hit you'd be lucky to see a dozen rabbits let alone kill many. i think it was called rabbit heamoragic disorder. or the calisi virus in aus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 The goverment probably produced both :< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bindi Posted March 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Yeah to think that these diseases have been introduced by man really stinks.....and despite what the antis might say......we like bunnies.....particularly in pies I hope its not all doom and gloom for shooting in Australia, as we are now set on getting there (providing me or the missus doesn't fail a medical). The plus side is that land is dirt cheap over there with 50 acres with house going for about £200k. I'll have to look into this and report back to the forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Fish Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 (edited) Edited March 24, 2006 by The Big Fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Big Fish, thanks for correcting my comment. I knew it came to the UK from Australia via France, but I did not know of the South American connection. I found this after a quick Google. "Where did myxomatosis come from? Originally, myxomatosis was imported from Brazil (where it was first discovered in the 1930's) to Australia in 1950. This was control the massive populations of rabbits in that subcontinent. In Brazil, the Cotton Tailed rabbit (Sylvilagus) is affected by the disease to a minor degree as only tiny lumps are produced by this self-limiting disease. However, in Australia the disease was devastating and markedly reduced the rabbit population. How did the disease get to Britian? The disease was transmitted from Australia by French Physician, Dr A Delille, who wished to control the rabbit population on his country estate near Paris. The disease rapidly spread into the wild population in france and then was brought, entirely by accident, from France in 1953. there is no evidence that the disease was intentionally brought into Britain but there is no doubt that some farmers moved the disease around using diseased rabbits to contro the population of the rabbits locally." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Fish Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 (edited) Edited March 24, 2006 by The Big Fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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