Myxi vaccination - 6 months or 12 months????

I considered put this in Health but thought it would probably get more replies here. Anyway I've just seen the following warning on the facebook page for the Pawz for Thought rescue up in Sunderland.


We have had reports that two of our ex Pasw bunnies have contracted myxi and subsequently died. Can I remind all rabbit owners that if you live in a high risk area it is strongly recommended that you vaccinate your rabbit every six month.


Now this got me a bit confused because I thought the new combined vaccine covered them for a year. So I questioned it and they said that a vet has advised them even with the new combined vaccine they should still be done every six month if in high risk areas of living in or near the countryside.

They then linked a fact sheet from RWAF with the defining the risks and how it is spread by biting insects.


Pet rabbits at greatest risk are those living outside, especially if they may have any contact with wild rabbits or hares. Pet rabbits affected by rabbit fleas are also at very high risk - rabbit owners who also have a dog or cat that hunts wild rabbits (or foxes that visit the garden and nose around rabbit hutches) must be particularly careful, in case rabbit fleas are brought back to the pet bunny.

Myxi is usually spread by biting insects (fleas, mosquitoes) carrying the Myxoma virus. However, direct rabbit-to-rabbit spread can occur. Previously, this was mainly seen in a French respiratory strain of the disease, but reports from the Autumn 2000 UK outbreak suggest that rabbit-to-rabbit transmission may now occur the UK.

Pet rabbits could contract myxomatosis in a variety of ways:

• Bites from mosquitoes carrying the Myxoma virus.
• Bites from fleas carrying the Myxoma virus (fleas can survive for many months in hay)
• Myxomatosis can also be spread by Cheyletiella fur mites


This has totally confused me now. How do we define "high risk" areas? I don't actually live in the country but I do live on the edge of town (about a 5 minute walk to fields) and whilst my dogs don't kill rabbits they are walked in fields where rabbits live and we do get the occasional fox passing by.

Also we all know Myxi is spread by biting insects anyways, so shouldn't be define it as being high risk if there is an outbreak in your area rather than living in the country, etc.

I suppose I was just wondering everyones opinion and if anyone else has heard this advise with the new vaccine.

Edited: Pasted some text over my initial post by accident

Hmmmm I'm not sure about that! The reason the previous one was 6 months was that tests showed the duration of immunity to be 6 months. It used to be the case that it was considered once yearly would suffice if the vaccination was given at the start of myxi season, and the immunity would last through the season and then tail off over winter when the mozzies died off...but more recently where we have had longer, wetter seasons, the recommendation upped to every 6 months because cases were being seen all year round.

But the duration of immunity for the new combined vaccine has been tested and shown to be 12 months, therefore a booster at 6 months won't achieve anything other than lightening your purse, I wouldn't have thought :? I guess there's always a chance that the immunity hasn't kicked in for whatever reason and a booster might in that instance be useful, but you could have it done every week using that logic.

Unless something has changed of which I am not aware and this has suddenly become a new recommendation, I think I'd be taking that particular vet's opinion with a pinch of salt - it sounds more to me as if they haven't read the data sheet and don't realise that the new one is 12 month immunity.