Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-9q27g Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-18T23:04:35.790Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Myxomatosis in farmland rabbit populations in England and Wales

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

J. Ross ,
A. M. Tittensor ,
A. P. Fox  and
M. F. Sanders
J. Ross
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Research and Development Service, Worplesdon Laboratory, Tangley Place, Worplesdon, Guildford, Surrey GU3 3LQ
A. M. Tittensor
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Research and Development Service, Worplesdon Laboratory, Tangley Place, Worplesdon, Guildford, Surrey GU3 3LQ
A. P. Fox
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Research and Development Service, Worplesdon Laboratory, Tangley Place, Worplesdon, Guildford, Surrey GU3 3LQ
M. F. Sanders
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Research and Development Service, Worplesdon Laboratory, Tangley Place, Worplesdon, Guildford, Surrey GU3 3LQ
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The overall pattern and consequences of myxomatosis in wild rabbit populations were studied at three farmland sites in lowland southern England and upland central Wales between 1971 and 1978. When results from all years were combined, the disease showed a clear two-peaked annual cycle, with a main autumn peak between August and January, and a subsidiary spring peak during February to April.

Rabbit fleas, the main vectors of myxomatosis in Britain, were present on full-grown rabbits in sufficient numbers for transmission to occur throughout the year, but the observed seasonal pattern of the disease appeared to be influenced by seasonal mass movements of these fleas. However other factors were also important including the timing and success of the main rabbit breeding season, the proportion of rabbits which had recovered from the disease and the timing and extent of autumn rabbit mortality from other causes.

Significantly more males than females, and more adults and immatures than juveniles, were observed to be infected by myxomatosis. Only 25–27% of the total populations were seen to be infected during outbreaks. Using two independent methods of calculation, it was estimated that between 47 and 69% of infected rabbits died from the disease (much lower than the expected 90–95% for fully susceptible rabbits with the partly attenuated virus strains that predominated). Thus it was estimated that 12–19% of the total rabbit populations were known to have died directly or indirectly from myxomatosis.

Although the effects of myxomatosis were much less than during the 1950s and 1960s, it continued to be an important mortality factor. It may still have a regulatory effect on rabbit numbers, with autumn/winter peaks of disease reducing the numbers of rabbits present at the start of the breeding season.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 103 , Issue 2 , October 1989 , pp. 333 - 357
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

References

REFERENCES

1.Mead-Briggs, AR. The European rabbit, the European rabbit flea and myxomatosis. In: Coaker, TH ed. Applied Biology; 2. London: Academic Press, 1977: 183–281.Google Scholar
2.Mead-Briggs, AR, Vaughan, JA.The differential transmissibility of myxoma virus strains of differing virulence grades by the rabbit flea Spilopsyllus cuniculi (Dale). J Hyg 1975; 75: 237–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Vaughan, JA. The influence of the rabbit flea on the selection of attenuated strains of myxoma virus. In: Myers, K, MacInnes, CD, eds. Proceedings of the World Lagormorph Conference. Ontario: University of Guelph, 1981: 834–41.Google Scholar
4.Armour, CJ, Thompson, HV.Spread of myxomatosis in the first outbreak in Great Britain. Ann Appl Biol 1955; 43: 511–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Thompson, HV. Myxomatosis: a survey. Agriculture, London 1956; 63: 51–7.Google Scholar
6.Hudson, JR, Thompson, HV, Mansi, W.Myxoma virus in Britain. Nature 1955; 176: 783.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Brown, PW, Allan, RM, Shanks, PL.Rabbits and myxomatosis in the north east of Scotland. Scottish Agriculture 1956; 35: 204–7.Google Scholar
8.Lloyd, HG.Post-myxomatosis rabbit populations in England and Wales. European Plant Protection Organisation, Publication Series A 1970; 58: 197–215.Google Scholar
9.Lloyd, HG. Biological observations on post-myxomatosis wild rabbit populations in Britain 1955–1979. In: Myers, K, MacInnes, CD, eds. Proceedings of the World Lagomorph Conference. Ontario: University of Guelph, 1981: 623–8.Google Scholar
10.Lloyd, HG, Walton, KC. Rabbit survey in west Wales (1961–67). Agriculture London 1969; 76: 32–6.Google Scholar
11.Tittensor, AM. Rabbit population trends in southern England. In: Myers, K, MacInnes, CD eds. Proceedings of the World Lagomorph Conference. Ontario: University of Guelph, 1981: 629–32.Google Scholar
12.Chapple, PJ, Bowen, ETW.A note on two attenuated strains of myxoma virus isolated in Great Britain. J Hyg 1963; 61: 161–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Vaughan, HEN, Vaughan, JA.Some aspects of the epizootiology of myxomatosis. Symp Zool Soc Lond 1968; 24: 289–309.Google Scholar
14.Ross, J.Myxomatosis and the rabbit. Br Vet J 1972; 128: 172–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Ross, J.Myxomatosis: the natural evolution of the disease. Symp Zool Soc Lond 1982; 50: 77–95.Google Scholar
16.Fenner, F.Biological control as exemplified by smallpox eradication and myxomatosis. Proc R Soc Lond (Biol) 1983; 218: 259–85.Google ScholarPubMed
17.Chapple, PJ, Lewis, ND.An outbreak of myxomatosis caused by a moderate attenuated strain of myxoma virus. J Hyg 1964; 62: 433–41.Google ScholarPubMed
18.Dunsmore, JD, Williams, RT, Price, WJ.A winter epizootic of myxomatosis in sub-alpine south-eastern Australia. Amer J Zool 1971; 19, 275–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Fullagar, PJ.Observations on myxomatosis in a rabbit population with immune adults. Australian Wildlife Research 1977; 4: 263–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Watson, JS, Tyndale-Biscoe, CH.The apophyseal line as an age indicator for the wild rabbit. Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.). New Zealand Journal of Science and Technicology. Section B 1953; 34: 427–35.Google Scholar
21.Stroh, G.Zwei sichere Altersmerkmale beim Hasen. Berl Tierarztl Wochenschr 1931; 47: 180–1.Google Scholar
22.Chapple, PJ, Bowen, ETW, Lewis, ND.The use of Ouchterlony gel diffusion technique in the study of myxomatosis. J Hyg 1963; 61: 373–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23.Vergani, C.Crossed-over electrophoresis for the rapid detection of serum hepatitis (Australia) antigen and antibody. J Clin Pathol 1971; 24: 86–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Sobey, WR, Conolly, D, Adams, KM.Myxomatosis: a simple method of sampling blood and testing for circulating soluble antigens or antibodies to them. Aust J Sci 1966; 28: 354–5.Google Scholar
25.Schwerdt, PR, Schwerdt, CE.A plaque assay for myxoma virus infectivity Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1962; 109: 717–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.Fenner, F, Woodroofe, GM.The pathogenesis of infectious myxomatosis: the mechanisms of infection and the immunological response in the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Br J Exp Path 1953; 34: 400–11.Google Scholar
27.Sharpe, AN, Jackson, AK.Stomaching: a new concept in bacteriological sample preparation. Appl Microbiol 1972; 24: 175–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28.Fenner, F, Marshall, ID.A comparison of the virulence for European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) of strains of myxoma virus recovered in the field in Australia. Europe and America. J Hyg 1957; 55: 149–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29.Sampford, MR.The estimation of response time distribution III. Truncation and survival. Biometrics 1954; 10: 531–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30.Ross, J, Sanders, MF.Innate resistance to myxomatosis in wild rabbits in England. J Hyg 1977; 79: 411–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31.Ross, J, Sanders, MF.The development of genetic resistance to myxomatosis in wild rabbits in Britain. J Hyg 1984; 92: 255–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32.Brambell, FWR.The reproduction of the wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L). Proc. Zool Soc Lond 1944; 114: 1–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
33.Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Mammal and bird pests. Research and development report. Reference book 255 (81). HMSO: London, 1981.Google Scholar
34.Muirhead-Thomson, RC.The part played by woodland mosquitoes of the genus Aedes in the transmission of myxomatosis in England. J Hyg 1956; 54: 461–71.Google Scholar
35.Muirhead-Thomson, RC.Field studies of the role of Anopheles atroparvus in the transmission of myxomatosis in England. J Hyg 1956; 54: 472–7.Google ScholarPubMed
36.Service, MW.A reappraisal of the role of mosquitoes in the transmission of myxomatosis in Britain. J Hyg 1971; 69: 105–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
37.Shanks, PL, Sharman, GAM, Allan, R, Donald, LG, Young, S, Marr, TG.Experiments with myxomatosis in the Hebrides. Br Vet J 1955; 111: 25–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38.Rothschild, M.Myxomatosis and the rabbit flea. Nature 1965; 207: 1162–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39.Allan, RM.A study of the populations of the rabbit flea Spilopsyllus cuniculi (Dale) on the wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus in north-east Scotland. Proc R Entomol Soc 1956; 31: 145–52.Google Scholar
40.Mead-Briggs, AR, Vaughan, JA, Rennison, BD.Seasonal variation in number of the rabbit flea on the wild rabbit. Parasitology 1975; 70: 103–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
41.Mead-Briggs, AR.Some experiments concerning the interchange of rabbit fleas Spilopsyllus cuniculi (Dale), between living rabbit hosts. J Anim Ecol 1964; 33: 13–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
42.Chapple, PJ, Lewis, ND.Myxomatosis and the rabbit flea. Nature 1965; 207: 388–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
43.Joubert, L, Chippaux, A, Mouchet, J, Oudar, J.Entretien hivernovernal du virus myxomateux dans les terriers. Myxomatose d'inoculation par la puce du lapin et myxomatose de fouissement. Bull Acad Vet France 1969; 42: 93–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
44.Fenner, F, Marshall, ID.Passive immunity in myxomatosis of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus): the protection conferred on kittens born by immune does. J Hyg 1954; 52: 321–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
45.Cowan, DP.Aspects of the social organisation of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Ethology 1987; 75: 197–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
46.Fenner, F, Ratcliffe, FN.Myxomatosis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1965; 379.Google Scholar
47.Williams, RT, Parer, I.The status of myxomatosis at Urana, New South Wales, from 1968 until 1971. Australian J Zool 1972; 20: 391–404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
48.Shepherd, RCH, Edmonds, JW.Myxomatosis: changes in the epidemiology of myxomatosis coincident with the establishment of the European rabbit flea Spilopsyllus cuniculi (Dale) in the Mallee region of Victoria. J Hyg 1978; 81: 399–403.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
49.Soriguer, RC.Ciclo annual de parasitismo por pulgas y garrapatas en e conejo de campo (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) en Andalucia occidental, Espana. Revista Iberica de Parasitologia 1980; 40: 539–50.Google Scholar
50.Ross, J, Sanders, MF.Changes in the virulence of myxoma virus in Britain. Epidem Infect 1987; 98: 113–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
51.Ross, J, Tittensor, AM.The establishment and spread of myxomatosis and its effect on rabbit populations. Phil Trans R Soc Lond (Biol) 1986; 314: 599–606.Google ScholarPubMed
52.Dunsmore, JD, Price, WJ.A non-winter epizootic of myxomatosis in subalpine south-eastern Australia. Aust J Zool 1972; 20: 405–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
53.Williams, RT, Fullagar, PJ, Davey, CC, Kogon, C.Factors affecting the survival time of rabbits in a winter epizootic of myxomatosis at Canberra, Australia. J Appl Ecol 1972; 9: 399–410.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
54.Williams, RT, Fullagar, PJ, Kogon, C, Davey, C.Observations on a natural occurring winter epizootic of myxomatosis at Canberra, Australia, in the presence of rabbit fleas (Spilopsyllus cuniculi Dale) and virulent myxoma virus. J Appl Ecol 1973; 10: 417–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar