- Rabbitpox
Rabbitpox is a disease of
rabbit s caused by avirus of the genus "Orthopoxvirus " and the family "Poxviridae ".cite web
url = http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=99011
title = Medical Dictionary - 'rabbitpox virus'
accessdate = 2007-04-03
publisher = mediLexicon
language = English] Rabbitpox was first isolated at theRockefeller Institute in New York in 1933, following a series ofepidemic s in the laboratory rabbits.cite journal
quotes =
author = C. Upton
date =August 12 ,2005
title = Complete coding sequences of the rabbitpox virus genome
journal = Journal of General Virology
volume = 86
issue =
pages = 2969–2977
url = http://vir.sgmjournals.org/cgi/reprint/86/11/2969.pdf
language = English
format = PDF
accessdate = 2007-04-03
doi = 10.1099/vir.0.81331-0 ] It is an acute disease only known to infect laboratory rabbits as no cases have been reported in wild rabbits; it also cannot infect humans.cite web
url = http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171327.htm
title = Rabbitpox
accessdate = 2007-04-03
work = The Merck Veterinary Manual
language = English]History
Rabbitpox has not been recognised in wild rabbits, however a few outbreaks have been reported in the USA since 1930 [ [http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171327.htm Merck Veterinary Manual] ] .
ymptoms
*Pox lesions may or may not be present on the skin.
*Most rabbits develop a fever and nasal discharge.
*The mortality varies but is always high.
*The most characteristic lesions seen atnecropsy are a skin rash, subcutaneousedema , and edema of the mouth and other body openings.Infection
"Rabbitpox virus" is a highly infectious airborne agent, which spreads very rapidly through laboratories which contain rabbits causing a high rate of mortality. Because of the edematous condition, “poxless” rabbitpox may be confused with
myxomatosis . The virus may be isolated or the infection diagnosed serologically by methods appropriate tovaccinia . Spread through a rabbitry is rapid, but rabbits inoculated withsmallpox vaccine are immune.Rabbitpox virus is closely related immunologically to vaccinia virus, consequently rabbits that have been inoculated with the
smallpox (vaccinia virus) vaccine have immunity against rabbitpox.Danger to humans
Rabbitpox virus does not infect humans.
References
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