Hi there, I thought I would share this info on mxomatosis with you.
I personally didn't know much about the disease until doing a bit of reading up on it recently. I assumed that it was a disease spreading only from rabbit to rabbit. I was quite wrong -
"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 info is from - http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/understanding_myxo_feb06.htm
It also goes on to say that if you have foxes that frequent your garden (who doesn't!) then you need to be very careful.
Neil
PS Both my rabbits are vaccinated, hope yours are too
PPS Apologies if there is a duplicate thread to this somewhere.
I personally didn't know much about the disease until doing a bit of reading up on it recently. I assumed that it was a disease spreading only from rabbit to rabbit. I was quite wrong -
"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 info is from - http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/understanding_myxo_feb06.htm
It also goes on to say that if you have foxes that frequent your garden (who doesn't!) then you need to be very careful.
Neil
PS Both my rabbits are vaccinated, hope yours are too
PPS Apologies if there is a duplicate thread to this somewhere.