On Sat, 04 Jun 2011 12:14:18 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Sat, 4 Jun 2011 00:41:39 +0100, Christina Websell
wrote:

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm.../atoz/notifiab
le.htm

Myxi does not appear to be listed and I'm certain it isn't
notifiable.

As it's not in those Defar lists it isn't.

It's been endemic in Britain for decades.

Endemic isn't really a criteria for being notifiable. it's more down
to how lethal and easy to spread it is. See how some diseases on the
notifiable list have never (yet...) been seen in the UK. Rinderpest
is also listed and that has been, officially, eradicated globally
since 25th May 2011.

I have not seen it since I was a child in the 60's.
If it is not notifiable now, it should be.
It's a terrible thing.

Why should Defra spend their money on a disease of an non native pest
species by making mxyi notifiable? A disease that (AFAIK) does not
impact any stock animals.

It certainly does affect farmed and pet rabbits. And it's only a pest
when it isn't being properly managed -- which, I grant you, is nearly
always. It's potentially valuable for food and fur.

Saw a mxyi rabbit somewhere around here the other month. The last
couple of sever cold spells has given the local rabbit population a
hefty knock back, far more than the mxyi ever has. Rabbits are
developing an immunity to it.

Yes, but, I wonder, does the disease also mutate? The late Thurlow
Craig used to say that some rabbits lived mostly above ground, and as
a result were less vulnerable to the infection (as, I believe, are
hares). I've no idea if this theory is borne out by the evidence; but
an above-ground lifestyle would also leave the animals extremely
vulnerable to hard winters.

--
Mike.