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Giving an Antiviral Drug at Onset of Symptoms of Myxi ??

J

Jack's-Jane

Wise Old Thumper
Something akin to Acyclovir ?

Does anyone know if this has been researched or if it is even feasible ?

Like the treatment given to humans diagnosed with a virus such as Herpes or even HIV ??
 
Would be interested to find out definitely! I suspect that it would not be considered financially viable to even research this area with rabbits not being anyone's priority. Now if it were cattle I think the pharmaceutical companies would have more inclination to look into it! :roll:
 
certainly worth chatting over with a freinbdly vet (and I think you have one to hand Jane????!!;);)).

It would be great to be able to do something . .
 
Interesting topic. I do wonder if it might mean the virus might sit dormant waiting till the bun became vulnerable and then strike again though. I guess I'm thinking of my own experience of anti viral drugs, which I had twice for shingles, then it just kept coming back. :? I sometimes wonder if these drugs are a help or a hindrance to the immune system. :?

Am very interested to know more though.
 
SarahP said:
Interesting topic. I do wonder if it might mean the virus might sit dormant waiting till the bun became vulnerable and then strike again though. I guess I'm thinking of my own experience of anti viral drugs, which I had twice for shingles, then it just kept coming back. :? I sometimes wonder if these drugs are a help or a hindrance to the immune system. :?

Am very interested to know more though.
Click to expand...

I think with the herpes virus it does remain dormant within the bloodstream and can flare up when the body is under stress. But as I understand it,(which may be totally wrong) taking antivirals at the onset of 'active' clinical symptoms reduces the severity/length of an 'active' attack. So AVs wont prevent a recurrence, just minimise it's severity :? If the AVs are stopped as soon as symptoms resolve then I cant see how they, the AVs, would have a negative effect on the immune system

God, I wish I were more intelligent........... *sigh*
 
I just wonder exactly how they work, ie whether they help the immune system work through it. I have the same sorts of questions about Panacur etc, ie does it reduce the numbers of spores to a level that the immune system can deal with, or does it hinder the immune system.

Dunno what I'm talking about really - just thinking aloud! :D
 
Jack's-Jane said:
I think with the herpes virus it does remain dormant within the bloodstream and can flare up when the body is under stress. But as I understand it,(which may be totally wrong) taking antivirals at the onset of 'active' clinical symptoms reduces the severity/length of an 'active' attack. So AVs wont prevent a recurrence, just minimise it's severity :? If the AVs are stopped as soon as symptoms resolve then I cant see how they, the AVs, would have a negative effect on the immune system

God, I wish I were more intelligent........... *sigh*
Click to expand...

This is true for aciclovir in treating herpes simplex - cold sores - which does remain dormant in the dorsal root ganglion (bundle of nerve cells) :)
 
prettylupin said:
This is true for aciclovir in treating herpes simplex - cold sores - which does remain dormant in the dorsal root ganglion (bundle of nerve cells) :)
Click to expand...

Yes, sorry, Herpes is what I was referring to as SarahP was talking about Shingles. I think HZ remains dormant in the same way as HS doesn't it ?

What I am wondering is if an AV could be given not instead of a Myxi Vac, but to Rabbits who get atypical or 'full blown' Myxi despite being vaccinated :?

But as you say, I doubt there will be a rush to the front of a queue to fund any research :cry:
 
Last edited:
Idoxuridine can only be used on the skin surface or as eye drops as it is very toxic to cells (especially affecting the heart) bu tthe topical medication wouldn't get into the affected tissue so I don't think it could be very useful unfortunately. Most known antivirals are specific to groups of viruses as they affect/block specific proteins unique to the viral family so established drugs like acyclovir woudn't be effective against myxoma.
I think interferon therapy merits research - using replicas of the body's own antiviral proteins in higher concentrations to help fight off viral infection. We use it in other species (most notably cats and humans) but I'm not aware of rabbit interferon being commercially available though. Again this is horrendously expensive to produce in other species so not something we can expect any time soon :(
Marie
 
marie_kubiak said:
Idoxuridine can only be used on the skin surface or as eye drops as it is very toxic to cells (especially affecting the heart) bu tthe topical medication wouldn't get into the affected tissue so I don't think it could be very useful unfortunately. Most known antivirals are specific to groups of viruses as they affect/block specific proteins unique to the viral family so established drugs like acyclovir woudn't be effective against myxoma.
I think interferon therapy merits research - using replicas of the body's own antiviral proteins in higher concentrations to help fight off viral infection. We use it in other species (most notably cats and humans) but I'm not aware of rabbit interferon being commercially available though. Again this is horrendously expensive to produce in other species so not something we can expect any time soon :(
Marie
Click to expand...


Thanks Marie, I was hoping you might see this.

Looks like it wont be an option in my lifetime then :cry:
 
I know this thread is from last year, but I so wish that something could be done to look at developing an antiviral that may help in cases of Myxomatosis. It seems that vaccinating and taking all possible precautions re vector transmission is still not enough for some Rabbits :cry:

Vile disease :evil:
 
problem is anti-virals like interferon have massive side effects often (I have elected not to have treatment with an anti-viral as the side effects are so yuk that it was unlikely I would be able to do my current 'job' whilst on them) and the courses can be very long.

How would we know how awful it was for our buns whilst they were on them?
 
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