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Myxomatosis- E-Petition

I do wish people would get their facts right when they start petitions. It was not introduced illegally. Grrrr.
I will sign it but I always think these things carry more weight if the information is factually correct!
 
I do wish people would get their facts right when they start petitions. It was not introduced illegally. Grrrr.
I will sign it but I always think these things carry more weight if the information is factually correct!

The detail about cats and dogs had me confused as well because it talks about wild rabbits and not domestic ones so we seem to be talking about two very different things.


:oops::oops:Not wanting to sound like I'm being obstructive here but .... do we have any idea of how myxomatosis could be eradicated when it's so widespread in the wild bunny population? I'm not saying we shouldn't petition etc but I just wonder if there would be a solution to it.
 
The detail about cats and dogs had me confused as well because it talks about wild rabbits and not domestic ones so we seem to be talking about two very different things.


:oops::oops:Not wanting to sound like I'm being obstructive here but .... do we have any idea of how myxomatosis could be eradicated when it's so widespread in the wild bunny population? I'm not saying we shouldn't petition etc but I just wonder if there would be a solution to it.

Development of a vaccine that can be given orally and the introduction of it through baited food would do it. It's not likely though.
 
Surely doing something has to be better than just sitting back and waiting :?

If anyone knows how to set up an E-Petition then maybe we could word it to be inclusive of Pet Rabbits. Oh and 'accurate' of course :)
 
sorry really don't want to rain on this as I think its a brillient idea to end animal suffering but I can tell you now exactly how the disease would be drastically reduced if goverment involved. a countrywide cull of wild rabbits. instant result - less rabbits with myxo. :(

best hope is that over time the natural survivors of each sweep will pass on their resistance to their offspring and eventually this horrible disease will lose its power .
 
sorry really don't want to rain on this as I think its a brillient idea to end animal suffering but I can tell you now exactly how the disease would be drastically reduced if goverment involved. a countrywide cull of wild rabbits. instant result - less rabbits with myxo. :(

best hope is that over time the natural survivors of each sweep will pass on their resistance to their offspring and eventually this horrible disease will lose its power .

It wont, it will mutate as all viruses do :cry:
 
I'm sire I read the diesease came over to the UK when several infected wild rabbits where imported from fance and released illegally. It must be in one of the prominant info sources because I have definately read that. I do think it would be very difficult to combat because it would likely travel across from europe like bird flu etc
 
The only thing that will possibly happen IMO will be the attempted erradication of the wild rabbit population. They are not a native species to this country, the disease is not transferable.
When myxo first struck it wiped out more than 99% of the population of wild rabbits yet still the buns fought back and repopulated themselves back up to optimal numbers.
They are adapting, buns are becoming immune or better able to handle the disease. I could take anyone interested to see a colony where 3 or 4 individuals have crumpled ears - the residual damage left behind from the horrific swelling caused from myxo.

We are able here to see a 4 year cyclical progress/recession with myxo here

Yr 1 minimal rabbit activity, few rabbits seen. No winter young.
Yr 2 more animals seen, no territorial behaviour witnessed 'normal' breeding season
Yr 3 lots of animals seen, territorial behaviour witnessed, breeding later into the year
Yr 4 Rabbits everywhere, winter breeding. yearlings forced to stay above ground MYXO HITS

Back to year 1

It is awful, but I don't believe we will ever get rid of it:(
 
I think there was a drive at the time to make the release of infected rabbits illegal but that the government would not do it and that the release was not therefore illegal.
 
yeah it's here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myxomatosis

I see here it says release didn't actually become illegal until '54,the year after some idiot initially released it. It's nice to see that the reason it became illegal was due to public outrage. I would have thought it may have been covered by a more general law about the import of viruses in '53 but I haven't found it yet.
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/viral/Myxomatosis.htm

it says hereit was illegally introduced in fance
http://www.future-of-vaccination.co.uk/myxomatosis-rabbit-disease.asp

it says here the UK govt initially tried to cotain the outbreak which would suggest to me it was not an officially planned release
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/2005/Features/WTX024879.htm
 
yeah it's here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myxomatosis

I see here it says release didn't actually become illegal until '54,the year after some idiot initially released it. It's nice to see that the reason it became illegal was due to public outrage. I would have thought it may have been covered by a more general law about the import of viruses in '53 but I haven't found it yet.
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/viral/Myxomatosis.htm

it says hereit was illegally introduced in fance
http://www.future-of-vaccination.co.uk/myxomatosis-rabbit-disease.asp

it says here the UK govt initially tried to cotain the outbreak which would suggest to me it was not an officially planned release
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/2005/Features/WTX024879.htm

I was just going to post the Wellcome link, you beat me to it! :thumb:
 
Considering they haven't managed to come up with a solution to badgers & cattle TB which costs millions a year, I think it's unlikely they could or would resolve myxi in the wild rabbit population which involves a lot more animals and no financial incentives to cover the costs of research/development.
 
They are adapting, buns are becoming immune or better able to handle the disease. I could take anyone interested to see a colony where 3 or 4 individuals have crumpled ears - the residual damage left behind from the horrific swelling caused from myxo.

Just wanted to quote this because I have seen similar buns myself but I never thought it could have been due to myxi! I wondered whether it was a genetic thing.

I don't think anything is ever likely to be done about myxi in wild rabbits. It's a horrible disease true, but many rabbits survive and then pass on resistance, hence the cycle Geoff's people mentioned. The disease isn't as severe as in domestic rabbits because the wildies have been evolving along with the virus. Also, the virus is important for keeping the wild population down. While I'm sure none of us would mind being overrun with rabbits, it would be very damaging for the ecosystem in this country.
 
The conservatives side with farmers, who see rabbits as a pest. They will never do anything to help rabbits.
 
When I expressed concern about that myxi rabbit that was seen in our office car park, the security guards moved it to the back of the building and let it go in a wildlife area. Shortly afterwards, a colleague of mine, who was also until recently a Tory Councillor, knowing that I was concerned and also knowing that I own rabbits, asked me whether I had "wrung it's neck yet". Pretty much says it all really doesn't it? I'm afraid that this government can't and won't do anything about myxi in this country. In Spain, things are different and they are trying to repopulate rabbits in areas where they have been practically wiped out. But that is because they provide food to the endangered Spanish lynx.
 
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