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More Myxi

Jaypot

Mama Doe
I have just had a mail telling me that a gorgeous bun that I had for a couple of nights while his new mum made arrangements to get here for him has now got full blown myxie - he is vaccinated - this is getting worse and worse - how many more are going to suffer? The vaccine is obviously not protecting the buns against this strain. The weird thing is, the farmers down South where my freind lives have been saying how strange it has been as they have seen no wild buns with myxie.

This has got to be a new strain - I am soooo scared for my buns now - they all had their vaccinations and our vets have said that they have not had any myxie buns in or any wild ones bought in to be pts humanely. They have said that this is strange as they usually get some and have had them by now.

Do any of you think that the wild buns are maybe dying underground or due to them not being vaccinated are more protected against this strain? It is all very worrying and my heart goes out to all those who have myxie buns :cry:
 
That is scary. I believe myx is a really nasty disease. We have never had it in New Zealand, although for years farmers have wanted it introduced. When they didn't get their own way with myx, some farmers illegally introduced calicivirus (rabbit haemorrhagic disease), a particularly nasty strain, different I think to the euro strain. Someone somehow got hold of a liver from a diseased rabbit (smuggled it in from Australia, if I remember rightly), blended it up in their kitchen blender (unbelievable but true) and used the resulting infected mess to bait and infect local rabbits. Many rabbits have died since and although the outbreak spread far initially, it seems to have died down. I'm not sure of the current RCD status, but the virus is out there. I'm told there is no calicivirus present in my area at the moment, but I don't trust viruses and with so many wild rabbits around, I don't let my rabbit out to graze, which is sad, cos they love to run on the grass and be outside. I guess the best we can do to protect our buns from disease is keep them away from other rabbits and exercise long strict quarantines when we acquire new rabbits. Do you all normally allow your rabbits outside to graze?
 
don't trust viruses and with so many wild rabbits around, I don't let my rabbit out to graze, which is sad, cos they love to run on the grass and be outside. I guess the best we can do to protect our buns from disease is keep them away from other rabbits and exercise long strict quarantines when we acquire new rabbits. Do you all normally allow your rabbits outside to graze?

Hi, Kiwi bunny, I let my rabbit out in her run, She has been vaccinated. My previous bunny was not ever vaccinated and he went outside and was fine.
but these stories are very scary.
Are these vaccinated buns getting myxi pulling through? or are the vaccinations giving no protection at all?
 
Oh Dear, I can imagine your fears and concerns re this possible new myxomatosis strain.
But there is no evidence that a new strain has emerged as yet, and we do not wish to spread panic on mass unnecessarily until all the full facts are known
Rabbits can still get the usual full blown myxomatosis strain despite being vaccinated as for example, their immune system may not take the vaccine up properly for some reason (this does not mean their is a fault with the vaccine itself), or if bunnies are only vaccinated once yearly perhaps their cover is not so good.
Two of our Sanctuary bunnies had myxomatosis several years ago despite being vaccinated, but they developed a less virulent form, and both receovered with a lot of TLC.
Vaccinations still offer the best cover to date, and even if a new Myxo. strain is emerging, I would rather give my bunnies some protection against this deadly disease than none.

Do the RWA say that a new Strain is developing in their first alert notes? I have a quick check later. :?
Okay folks just reporting back...I cannot find any information that a new Myxo. strain is developing, but the RWA did say as I said above, that VACCINATED BUNNIES CAN STILL DEVELOP QUITE A SEVERE FORM OF MYXOMATOSIS, BUT AT LEAST THEY STAND SOME CHANCE OF SURVIVAL WHEREAS UNVACCINATED BUNNIES CHANCES ARE VERY SLIM.
 
I know that no vaccine is 100% as it is with any vaccine for any type of animal - this is just so very weird how it has happened.
The bun I wrote about last night is very poorly - he was fine all day - my freind is with them 24/7 - he had full blown myxi within a couple of hours. This morning she gave breakfast to all her other buns and checked them all over - at 7.30am one little man was fine - by 9.30am he has full blown myxi.
My freind has kept rabbits for years and years and is the most knowledgabe person that I know about them - she has never, ever seen anything like this where the myxi is like this. She says to look at the two buns you would think that they have had myxi for a few days - it is that bad.
Both buns came from different parts of the country and have been vaccinated by two entirely different vets at different times. Her vet is in contact with Intervet and is extremely worried about this.
I have never heard of this happening so fast either and find it very worrying. The cases of vaccinated buns getting myxi seems to be rising at the moment and I think that the RWA should investigate this along with Intervet.
I don't want to scaremonger, I truly don't but I am worried about the buns getting it.
 
I have heard several reports of vaccinated buns getting it this year. Sue from Bracknell rescue is collating details, her email is bracknellrabbitrescue@yahoo.co.uk

The RWA also want to know about reports of myxy so they can warn about high problem areas.

My first bun got myxy it really is nasty, I hope your friends buns pull through.

Tam
 
Adele said:
[quote="Jaypot"
My freind has kept rabbits for years and years and is the most knowledgabe person that I know about them - she has never, ever seen anything like this where the myxi is like this. She says to look at the two buns you would think that they have had myxi for a few days - it is that bad.(QUOTE JAY)

I have kept bunnies for over 30 years now, and if what you are saying about the speed and virulence of the myxomatosis is accurate (and I have absolutely no reason to doubt that it is :D ) then I too am concerned, and as long as people are aware that is the best we can do, until more is known from the Veterinary investigations.
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The cases of vaccinated buns getting myxi seems to be rising at the moment and I think that the RWA should investigate this along with Intervet.(QUOTE JAY)

I agree, but we also have to take into account that it is peak time for myxomatosis now and there is always a rapid rise in numbers getting the disease end of Summer/ early Autumn. The weather and type of Summer plays a part in how readily the disease is spread too.
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I don't want to scaremonger, I truly don't but I am worried about the buns getting it.
I know Jay, it is a great concern, and with 26 bunnies myself I totally understand. We just have to rely upon the Veterinarians to do the best for our bunnies if problems arise, and vaccinate every bunny we can.
It is frustrating not having all the information to hand, but I think we must wait and see what transpires. :?
 
This year is showing a higher number of wild rabbit populations being seen with myxie. The virus, in itself effects different rabbits in different ways, with some wild rabbits having a natural tolerance to the disease. Part of the knock on effects of development, is that wild populations are being pushed into pockets, or areas of land if you like, and have not got the dispersal opportunities that they once had, and what with farmers now removing hedgerows to make their fields large and more profitable, the 'wildlife corridors' once used by these mammals to move around are disappearing, leading to less dispersal leading to larger populations in smaller areas, and so the virus spreads much more virulently, and so we see more of it in certain areas of the country where their are high populations of people, like the South.

The virus may change, and adapt, unfortunatley, I don't believe our vaccination has changed with it.

annie
 
I've heard of several bun's this year who have got Mxyi and have been vaccinated.

I agree with Jay that is does seem weird so many buns are getting it when vaccinated. I've never heard of anything like this before.

I can understand that some buns arent going to accept the vaccine or be as protected as others, but everywhere I go somebody knows a Rabbit that has Mxyi, vaccinated or not.

Does anybody know how much protection the vaccine's offer % wise?

Louise
 
Louise I believe(from what I remember reading somewhere) the vaccines give approx. 98% cover..but if the Myxo, strain is changing then this % will obviously drop.
 
Yes 2 in every 100 is about right Louise, so if we take the entire bunny population of the Uk (3 million domestic at a guess)
so for you mathematicians out there...how many bunnies is it who will then develop Myxo :?: ..oh boy! I was hopeless at maths at school!!
Well it is a lot of poorly bunnies anyway :cry: ..but a lot more bunnies who are vaccinated and would otherwise get myxo stay well :D

100 goes into 3 million 30000 times to get you started :lol: :lol:

and then is it...30000 x 2 bunnies :?: oh boy I am getting lost here.....
60000 bunnies ..surely that cannot be right :shock: :

or is it 30000 divided by 2 :idea: ...15,ooo :idea:
More like it :?:....come on, I want the proper Answer please..pretty please :lol:

Right for the real clever clogs, I now want you to work out an estimate of how many bunny owner there are in the Uk and work the percentage of the population who own bunnies, and the chance of you knowing someone who 1) has a bunny 2) percentage of those in relation to those with Myxo :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Yep if the % is right, it also means that if your rabbit is expossed to myxy its 50 times less likely to get it than if it was unvaccinated.

Here is the product datasheet - http://www.intervet.co.uk/Products_Public/Nobivac_Myxo/090_Product_Datasheet.asp

There are several suggestions on it why the vaccine could fail to work

A good immune response is reliant on the reaction of an immunogenic agent and a fully competent immune system. Immunogenicity of the vaccine antigen will be reduced by poor storage or inappropriate administration. Immuno-competence of the animal may be compromised by a variety of factors including poor health, nutritional status, genetic factors, concurrent drug therapy and stress.

Tam
 
OK!!! (Before I take any credit for this I will say now my OH worked it out for me!!! :lol: )

If the Domestic Rabbit population was 3 million and the Mxyi vaccine protection level was 98% that would mean 60,000 buns could still get Mxyi providing these 3 million buns where vaccinated!

Louise
 
I think you might be muddling up your sums Adele. We (or at leat I) don't know the exposure rate so it would be impossible to predict how many buns would get it. The 98% is saying that 2 in one hundred vaccinated buns that are expossed get it. Not all vaccinted bunnies are expossed though :)

What we can say is: if a non-vaccinated rabbit is exposed to myxy it stands a 98% chance of not making it, if a vaccinated bun is exposed it stands a 98% of not even catching it.

Tam
 
Tamsin said:
I think you might be muddling up your sums Adele. We (or at leat I) don't know the exposure rate so it would be impossible to predict how many buns would get it. The 98% is saying that 2 in one hundred vaccinated buns that are expossed get it. Not all vaccinted bunnies are expossed though.

Tam

Hey Tamsin, I realise this, I was only posing a little tea time brain puzzler for the Forum Members, I know other variables are involved..I was just waiting to see who brought up that fact, and it was YOU :D :lol: :lol: ..you have spoilt my fun now :roll:
 
I have just read an article from InterVet re the Vaccine content, and from what I understand the vaccine is not based on myxo itself but is another type of live Virus that is similar.
This means (putting on my bio chemisty and biology cap here..) that the vaccine should more readily adapt to diff. strains of Myxo(and in fact InterVet say there are many strains of Myxo. already in existance for which the vaccine is 98% effective) so I think it should be fairly effective against a new emerging strain of myxo.

I think all the Factors Tamsin has stated previously must play a big part in vaccine failure, and the environmental issues that Annie stated earlier.
I feel we just keep our minds open to all possibilities at this stage until the results from the Virus research are known.
:D
 
Do I get a prize? :D

The vaccination rate is supposedly 1 in 12. So following on from your/louises sums....

3,000,000/12 = 250,000 vaccinated buns, so approx. 5000 vaccinated buns will get myxy presuming all were exposed.

Tam
 
Tamsin said:
Do I get a prize? :D

Tam

Ooh I think you fully deserve a prize Tamsin :D :D
What about a Free vaccination against Myxomatosis for YOU, you never know myxo, could adapt and emerge as a Human Virus next, so best be prepared :lol: ....where do you want the needle then..scruff of neck and in your ear lobes :?: :shock: :lol: ..I have red swollen eyes from looking at the Computer screen too much, perhaps all this talk of disease is contageous :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
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