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Myxomatosis in Wild Rabbits - are they Recovering??

MightyMax

Banned
Much to Mr McGregor's chagrin, there seems to be a deluge of wild rabbits ruining farmer's crops ...

Wild rabbits are believed to be thriving thanks to an abundance of food, a decline in predators and a trend towards warmer winters.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...ease-resistant-rabbits-ruining-farmers-crops/


But I read on Frances Harcourt Brown's page recently that she's witnessed quite a few rabbits (with her own eyes!) that contracted myxomatosis and that are recovering from it.

What are we to make of all this? Are there just more wild rabbits around, or they really becoming disease resistant?
 
Its a painful one to think about :( if wildies become myxi resistant & the view is we are being over run with them then its only a matter of time before "we" start to decimate numbers with more chemical warfare.

There are definitely more rabbits round here at the mo - touch wood I've not seen any looking poorly
 
There are less around here - many with mxyi eyes.

If it does turn out that wildies are becoming resistant then as Joey&boo has said ; it's going to resort to chemical warfare which is going to cause a lot of conflict between me and many acquaintances.

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Its a painful one to think about :( if wildies become myxi resistant & the view is we are being over run with them then its only a matter of time before "we" start to decimate numbers with more chemical warfare.

There are definitely more rabbits round here at the mo - touch wood I've not seen any looking poorly

This would be my fear too :(

Well actually we have had a lot fewer rabbits in the garden this year. We have had quite a lot of singles in past years, including one which kept trying to get into our rabbits' accommodation :shock: I don't think it would have lasted long. I was quite paranoid about it getting so close, but eventually the stares and pacing up and down from our rabbits and us chasing it away, did the trick. The ones which we have had this year have all looked healthy (probably less than 6).

I haven't been out in the local countryside in the past few weeks though and it's this time of year that those suffering from myx are usually seen.
 
Sorry, do you mean that she's witnessed wildies recovering from myxi untreated?? Or non-immunised domestics recovering following treatment?
 
Sorry, do you mean that she's witnessed wildies recovering from myxi untreated?? Or non-immunised domestics recovering following treatment?


Yes, she has actually witnessed wildies recovering from myxi :D

It's a strange paradox that whilst myxi wildies are recovering, more of our vaccinated domestic rabbits are dying of the disease :(
 
Yes, she has actually witnessed wildies recovering from myxi :D

It's a strange paradox that whilst myxi wildies are recovering, more of our vaccinated domestic rabbits are dying of the disease :(
It's possible that wild mxyi has evolved, as has the wildies immune response.
Our bunnies are probably being vaccinated with an old strain of myxomatosis which hasn't evolved, meaning our domestic buns can't alter their immune response.

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It's possible that wild mxyi has evolved, as has the wildies immune response.
Our bunnies are probably being vaccinated with an old strain of myxomatosis which hasn't evolved, meaning our domestic buns can't alter their immune response.

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Yes, well put :thumb:
 
It's possible that wild mxyi has evolved, as has the wildies immune response.
Our bunnies are probably being vaccinated with an old strain of myxomatosis which hasn't evolved, meaning our domestic buns can't alter their immune response.

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It's more likely from an evolutionary perspective that it is in fact the immune response of wildies that has mutated and adapted, rather than the virus (at least, it is currently on the lead). Wild populations are subject to the powerful forces of natural selection, whereas ironically, by preventing breeding, immunising and generally protecting our domestics we are preventing beneficial mutations from taking hold.

Personally I find this encouraging. Even if our domestics are just as at risk as ever from the virus' severity, if not moreso, a rally of the wildies (long term, assuming optimistically that some will eventually have broad immunity as that's the way these things tend to go historically) would mean a decline in domestic cases.

Optimistic, sure. But not totally unrealistic.

I also doubt the likelihood of a fresh wave of biological warfare on wild populations ever being sanctioned in this country. It's a lot more contraversial now than in the past. A mechanical cull would be more likely.
 
I haven't seen any with myxo near my home. I have however encountered two at work in LS9 area both I have had a colleague take to vets (didn't want to risk contamination for my gang )
 
It's more likely from an evolutionary perspective that it is in fact the immune response of wildies that has mutated and adapted, rather than the virus (at least, it is currently on the lead). Wild populations are subject to the powerful forces of natural selection, whereas ironically, by preventing breeding, immunising and generally protecting our domestics we are preventing beneficial mutations from taking hold.

Yes, these were my thoughts exactly.
 
It's more likely from an evolutionary perspective that it is in fact the immune response of wildies that has mutated and adapted, rather than the virus (at least, it is currently on the lead). Wild populations are subject to the powerful forces of natural selection, whereas ironically, by preventing breeding, immunising and generally protecting our domestics we are preventing beneficial mutations from taking hold.

Personally I find this encouraging. Even if our domestics are just as at risk as ever from the virus' severity, if not moreso, a rally of the wildies (long term, assuming optimistically that some will eventually have broad immunity as that's the way these things tend to go historically) would mean a decline in domestic cases.

Optimistic, sure. But not totally unrealistic.

I also doubt the likelihood of a fresh wave of biological warfare on wild populations ever being sanctioned in this country. It's a lot more contraversial now than in the past. A mechanical cull would be more likely.

Very interesting ERC :D

We weaken our rabbits' immune systems by vaccinating, and longer term the stronger immune systems of wildies will mean less myxi around to threaten the domestics.

This sounds very hopeful :D
 
Very interesting ERC :D

We weaken our rabbits' immune systems by vaccinating, and longer term the stronger immune systems of wildies will mean less myxi around to threaten the domestics.

This sounds very hopeful :D

More that immunising strengthens their immune systems but only on an individual basis. By providing medical care in general and preventing breeding we stop natural selection from having much influence on bunnies' genes, so that any mutation resulting in an improved immune response to myxi is unlikely to be passed on, whereas in wildies that gene would enable more progeny to survive and reproduce, increasing that gene's prevalence. This has a cumulative effect over many generations.

Hope that makes sense :D
 
More that immunising strengthens their immune systems but only on an individual basis. By providing medical care in general and preventing breeding we stop natural selection from having much influence on bunnies' genes, so that any mutation resulting in an improved immune response to myxi is unlikely to be passed on, whereas in wildies that gene would enable more progeny to survive and reproduce, increasing that gene's prevalence. This has a cumulative effect over many generations.

Hope that makes sense :D


Thank you ERC. I've been pondering it!

I also came across this from a couple of weeks ago ...

http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/..._as_rabbits_die_at_Tendring_animal_sanctuary/

Mosquitos are being blamed for spreading the mutated strain of myxomatisis that appears resistant to the multi-vaccine and is killing the rabbits.
 
Thank you ERC. I've been pondering it!

I also came across this from a couple of weeks ago ...

http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/..._as_rabbits_die_at_Tendring_animal_sanctuary/

Mosquitos are being blamed for spreading the mutated strain of myxomatisis that appears resistant to the multi-vaccine and is killing the rabbits.

That caption :shock:

She seems to confuse mosquitoes with fleas in her very muddled explanation. It is very worrying though. I'd like to hear what the actual evidence is for the mutation - whether there is empirical evidence for this theory or if it's purely anecdotal.
 
That caption :shock:

She seems to confuse mosquitoes with fleas in her very muddled explanation. It is very worrying though. I'd like to hear what the actual evidence is for the mutation - whether there is empirical evidence for this theory or if it's purely anecdotal.


I would think anecdotal ...
 
I've just heard about a rabbit in a Rescue Centre contracting myxi, although vaccinated, and having to be PTS.

It's a worry to be sure - what's to do??
 
Vaccination relies on an immune response from the individual, so one vaccinated rabbit contracting the disease is sad but nothing to panic over. There will always be a small minority for whom vaccination doesn't generate the necessary antibodies and it's not a sign of a super strain or anything else headline grabbing.

Likewise, mortality rates in wild populations and the development of immunity has been an 'issue' for decades - back to the 1960s. For example mortality rates in Norfolk dropped from 80% to 20% in the 1970's. It tends to come and go, so some years will be good and some bad as the strain and genetics changes.

It's always been the case that some wild rabbits survive myxi, as mentioned the large, rapid breeding population and natural selection means they are 'bred' for it. It's just usually we don't see it happening as they are hoping about it the wild, or if sick enough to be caught euthanased.

They actually experimented with breeding domestic rabbits with inherited resistance, but only managed to reduce mortality rates from 95% to 80%, and they were a little unclear on whether it was genetic or acquired immunity (e.g. passing from mums milk).

There is an article here which covers some of the history: http://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D9196.PDF (keep in mind a lot of the material tends to be written from a rabbits = bad farming point of view).
 
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