Myxomatosis in hares.

[TonyL]

Very upsetting news.

I just saw on BBC Breakfast News that there have been cases of this terrible and devastating bastard of a virus reported in Brown Hares in East Anglia.

[Big Mat]

It's unconfirmed if it is mixy yet, its more likely to be the other virus that they get

[Daveo]

Yeah I second what Big Mat said
It's being reported as mixy but it's actually Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (VHD)
100% mortality rate in rabbits.
It's not good news at all
Makes you wonder if the virus has mutated if so where will it end?
Sheep, cattle, pigs, us?

[angrybear]

Considering the difference in symptoms it's a bit hard to confuse the two.
Not good either way.

[Daveo]

Considering the difference in symptoms it's a bit hard to confuse the two.
Not good either way.

Even for the BBC?

[Papa g]

Sadly after 43 years of hunting rabbits with ferrets, dogs & shooting this may be my last season due to the ravages of myxy, vhd,rhd, with those three ‘evils’ at large I can see there will be a big impact on our native predators, most of the rabbits have been wiped out on some of my permissions, I don’t tend to take large numbers preferring to keep to single figures as it’s all about the day too me, watching a stoat hunting a warren or a buzzard hunting and now the prospect of not seeing hares boxing in the fields in late February makes things sadder still.
Regards Graham

[clive s 400]

almost no rabbits on my perm -- stoped shooting them hoping some survivors will re populate the area

[Wilderbeest]

I, have hundreds of acres to shoot here in North Cheshire, and , No rabbits to speak of anywhere .
Non ,dead on the roads . Non, on the roundabouts . I saw one on a farm track on Sunday , which came as a surprise.
Two golf clubs , devoid of rabbits .
Whatever , it is (RHD2?) and if it is jumping species, someone in authority needs to take notice . And quickly.