Skip to main content
The Journal of Hygiene logoLink to The Journal of Hygiene
. 1977 Dec;79(3):411–415. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400053262

Innate resistance to myxomatosis in wild rabbits in England*

J Ross, M F Sanders
PMCID: PMC2129957  PMID: 270526

Abstract

Wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from one study area in England have been used over a period of 11 years to investigate the possible appearance of innate resistance to myxomatosis. Rabbits of 4-6 weeks old were captured alive, retained in the laboratory until at least 4 months old, and then infected with a type of myxoma virus which kills 90-95% of laboratory rabbits. Observations were made of symptoms, mortality rate and survival times.

In the first 4 years of the study (1966-9), mortality rates were not significantly different from those of laboratory rabbits, although survival times of wild rabbits were appreciably longer. In 1970, the mortality rate amongst wild rabbits was 59%, in 1974 it was 17%, and in 1976 it was 20%, thus showing that a considerable degree of inherited resistance to myxomatosis has developed.

The types of myxoma virus most commonly isolated from wild rabbits in Great Britain in recent years have been those which cause 70-95% mortality in laboratory rabbits. Therefore, if the degree of innate resistance demonstrated is widespread in Great Britain, there are serious implications regarding the size of the rabbit population, because myxomatosis has been an important factor in holding rabbit numbers at a relatively low level.

Full text

PDF
411

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. CHAPPLE P. J., BOWEN E. T. A note on two attenuated strains of myxoma virus isolated in Great Britain. J Hyg (Lond) 1963 Jun;61:161–168. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400020866. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. FENNER F., CHAPPLE P. J. EVOLUTIONARY CHANGES IN MYXOMA VIRUS IN BRITAIN. AN EXAMINATION OF 222 NATURALLY OCCURRING STRAINS OBTAINED FROM 80 COUNTIES DURING THE PERIOD OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1962. J Hyg (Lond) 1965 Jun;63:175–185. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400045083. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. FENNER F., DAY M. F., WOODROOFE G. M. Epidemiological consequences of the mechanical transmission of myxomatosis by mosquitoes. J Hyg (Lond) 1956 Jun;54(2):284–303. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400044521. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FENNER F., MARSHALL I. D. 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 (Lond) 1957 Jun;55(2):149–191. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400037098. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. MARSHALL I. D., DOUGLAS G. W. Studies in the epidemiology of infectious myxomatosis of rabbits. VIII. Further observations on changes in the innate resistance of Australian wild rabbits exposed to myxomatosis. J Hyg (Lond) 1961 Mar;59:117–122. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400038766. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. MARSHALL I. D., FENNER F. Studies in the epidemiology of infectious myxomatosis of rabbits. V. Changes in the innate resistance of Australian wild rabbits exposed to myxomatosis. J Hyg (Lond) 1958 Jun;56(2):288–302. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400037773. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. MARSHALL I. D., FENNER F. Studies in the epidemiology of infectious myxomatosis of rabbits. VII. The virulence of strains of myxoma virus recovered from Australian wild rabbits between 1951 and 1959. J Hyg (Lond) 1960 Dec;58:485–488. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400038614. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Mead-Briggs A. R., Vaughan J. A. The differential transmissibility of Myxoma virus strains of differing virulence grades by the rabbit flea Spilopsyllus cuniculi (Dale). J Hyg (Lond) 1975 Oct;75(2):237–247. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400047276. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Sobey W. R. Selection for resistance to myxomatosis in domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). J Hyg (Lond) 1969 Dec;67(4):743–754. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400042194. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Hygiene are provided here courtesy of Cambridge University Press

RESOURCES