How do rabbits get myxomatosis?
The disease is spread by the rabbit flea which is frequently found on wild rabbits and can be transmitted by cats which come into contact with infected wild rabbits. However, is less easily spread by simple contact from one rabbit to another. If an infected rabbit shares a hutch with a healthy rabbit and neither have fleas then the disease is virtually never transmitted by contact. The myxomatosis virus can remain dormant in the blood of fleas for several months. If it should bite a rabbit then the virus is injected into the skin as the parasite sucks blood. The virus is then transmitted to a local lymph node and enters the bloodstream enabling it to move around and multiply in the skin around the eyes, nose, face, ears and genitals. This makes eating and drinking difficult and the swelling around the eyes causes blindness – contributing to a prolonged death in some cases.
