Myxomatosis
October 31, 2016What is Myxomatosis?
Myxomatosis is caused by the myxoma virus, a poxvirus spread between rabbits by close contact and biting insects such as fleas and mosquitoes. The virus causes swelling and discharge from the eyes, nose and anogenital region of infected rabbits. Most rabbits die within 10-14 days of infection however highly virulent strains of the myxoma virus may cause death before the usual signs of infection have appeared.
Myxomatosis was introduced to Australia in 1950 to reduce pest rabbit numbers. The virus initially reduced the wild rabbit population by 95% but since then resistance to the virus has increased and less deadly strains of the virus have emerged. Pet rabbits do not possess any resistance to Myxomatosis and mortality rates are between 96-100%.
What are the signs of Myxomatosis?
Infected rabbits will show signs from 3-21 days after being exposed to the virus. They include:
- Swelling of the skin around the eyes, ears, occasionally the lips and nostrils and the skin around the anus and genital area
- Lethargy
- Disinterest in food
- Fever
- Eye and nasal discharge
- Breathing difficulties
In some rabbits with a very nasty strain of virus, minimal symptoms may be noted before sudden death occurs.
Another rare symptom (in a much less common strain) causes a lower grade chronic disease and lower rate of fatal outcomes. It can result in lumps developing around the ears and face that will resolve on their own. These lumps are named myxomas and the disease virus was named after this lesion.
What should I do if my rabbit develops Myxomatosis?
It is important to separate any suspected diseased rabbits from other rabbits immediately and seek veterinary help. Unfortunately, because of the lack of an effective treatment and the high mortality rate, it is often recommended to humanely euthanise the affected rabbit to avoid suffering a drawn out and painful death. The disease is not transmissible to any other species (cats, dogs and humans, etc).
If a rabbit does die or needs to be euthanised, it is extremely important to disinfect the rabbit’s environment as thoroughly as possible because the virus can survive for long periods in the environment. This would mean:
- Discarding straw and hay from a hutch
- Emptying the hutch of any other rabbits
- Cleaning and disinfecting (with bleach) the feeding bowls and drinking bottles
- Companion rabbits should be isolated for 3 weeks to ensure they do not develop disease
- Disinfecting the hutch (with bleach) as effectively as possible is mandatory if it is being reused
- It would be advisable to not reintroduce new rabbits into the environment for a minimum of four months
How do I prevent my rabbits getting the disease?
The best way to prevent rabbits from getting the disease is to reduce the possibility of contact with the insects that will transmit it to your home environment. Keeping rabbits inside is the best way to reduce the chances of them being bitten. If this is not practical or possible, covering outside enclosures with mosquito netting is advisable. Use of other insect repellents such as pest strips, surface sprays, mosquito coils, etc. may help with this.
Mosquitos and flies are more active at dusk and dawn, so having rabbits confined at these times will help reduce risk. Treating your other domestic pets with flea products will help reduce flea populations and eliminate the transmission risks from fleas. Rabbits can be treated with some (but not all) topical cat and dog flea treatments safely and effectively. Please consult your veterinary surgery for advice on the best products to use
How is the Australian Government getting away with killing animals in such a tortuous, cruel brutal way by using myxomatosis.
It is not a solution to say that us rabbit pet owners are to keep flyscreens’ up to stop mosquitos. Intelligent people know that it is almost impossible to keep the mosquito out even with a flyscreens’.
There is a better solution to the wild rabbit population and also saving our children’s pet rabbit from catching this disastrous disease. I am not proud at all to say Australia’s have created these inhumane torturous murders. I pray that the Australian government will turn this around and become geniuses in creating a more humane solution.
Giving any kind of live creature a tortuous death is evil and this needs to quickly change.
Is there anything that I can do to help stop this and to help pet bunnies get access to the vaccine of Myxomatosis?
Hi Sarah, here is a link to our knowledge base which has plenty of information on Myxomatosis.
We hope this is useful!
https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-is-myxomatosis-and-how-do-i-protect-my-rabbit-from-it/
wild rabbits in neighbouring property have red swollen eyes and seem to be blind. is myxamatosis still around? just curious. thanks. Carolyn
I agree Sarah, my kids find these baby bunny’s dying all the time. We have one tiny little baby right now, couldn’t leave him out to die in the cold alone. We’ve tried fluids but he’s nearly gone now, all we can do is make him comfortable. I am on a farm & yes they drive me crazy digging everywhere & eating our garden but it is an extremely cruel way to die. Shame on even allowing this as a way to control the rabbit population.
What’s even more insane is there is a bloody vaccine for it, many other countries have it but Australia has named the vaccine for unknown reasons.
A vaccine isn’t contagious in any way you cannot pass it on to wild Rabbits but people with pet rabbits could really benefit from access to it.
My beautiful pet bunny is currently dying of this horrible disease. The suffering it causes is simply not OK and another solution needs to be found. I am going to have to take her to be out down, but the poor bunnies in the wild do not even get this relief. We need to do better.
I’m so sorry to hear that Megan. It’s utterly heartbreaking to lose a pet.
Had to put our beautiful bunny down because of this, I am just so sad that she had to go because of a human made virus. It is harder to get through it because of this. Now it is just a sickening waiting game for our other bunny. :( This purposely introduced virus is horrible and I have searched up photos of wild bunnies and it is just sooo heartbreaking. It just is so sad for these creatures. After speaking with a friend who hunts and says it is truly a horrible virus and an unhumane method for death.
Hi peeps. My friend’s rabbit died from this virus a year ago. They gave us their old cage but then i realized it might be not a good thing to do. Can i please have opinion if it’s okay to reused it( of course i will bleach etc) but should i just not bothered and not using it? The cage has always been outside under the sun for almost a year. Thank you😁
Hi Fara, the recommended time to wait is at least 4 months after a rabbit has had myxomatosis, and the item must cleaned thoroughly.
My 14 month old white bunny contracted Myxi. We should hang our human heads in absolute shame to torture such innocent loved pets, My dear little bunny was a happy, fun loving little animal who loved to hop in his fresh litter tray of sand each night and he would dig in it, and play and roll and frolic. He would stand up and look for his sultana treats in the morning. When I came out and said Bunny, Bunny Bunny, each morning he would binky around his hutch in sheer joy. He would sit on my lap and enjoy long strokes while i had my morning coffee,,,,.. he will be a very special bunny if he survives. At this point in time I am 60:40 regarding his recovery. He is eating and drinking and appears to be a little more active after almost three weeks. He has been treated with anti-biotics and anti-inflamitories. I am heart-broken seeing this beautiful, healthy little rabbit develop facial lesions and swollen eyes. Shame on the ‘Powers that Be’ for not allowing a vaccine for pet rabbits in South Australia.
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I have just lost my bunny to this I would say this disease is definitely rife at the moment I can only assume the government have released it again ;-(
I lost two bunnies to calcivirus a few years ago I had them vaccinated as my LGA advised they were releasing it but it made no difference I’m assuming the vaccine was a different strain to the strain they released. Sadly there is no vaccine available for Myxomatosis :( does anyone know how long this virus lives in the environment for?
My Lovely boy passed away today, sent him to sleep at the early stage of myxoma signs. It broke my heart, and the vaccine definitely needed for pet bunnies. it is unfair to induct a deadly virus with no cure.
Even watching the wild babies die of Myxo is not pleasant. Could tell the whole wild family outside my window were suffering of Myxo today. Indoor dog watched on as baby bunny keeled over. We are having a plague of bunnies in my part of Gippsland this year.
Sorry to hear about your little boy, I had my little boy also taken to the vet by my wife as we wanted some eye treatment for him and he never came home.
I didn’t even think he had anything but an eye issue as he was eating, drinking and showed no signs of this disease.
I still feel that he didn’t have mixo but they were quick to convince my wife to put him to sleep and I cannot come to terms that he had it as rabbits also get conjunctivitis and other eye issues.
If he wasn’t eating or drinking, suffering I would have come to terms that putting him to sleep was the best idea but not this way as was there diagnosis correct.
I’m on day 7 of my bun buns having Myxomatosis. She’s still eating, drinking, hopping and loving pats so I’m just playing the waiting game. She fights us when we have to put eye drops in her so that tells me she still has fight in her to live. I am torn, I want to believe she will survive but the odds are stacked against her. We need a petition to beg the government for a vaccine for our pet bunnies. It’s an awful, inhumane virus.