Authors: Alfonso M.; Pagés-Mantè, A.

Myxomatosis is a viral disease caused by a Poxvirus. It affects domestic rabbits causing persistent problems in industrial rabbitries. The only way to control myxomatosis is through vaccination and bio-security measures. At present there are two types of vaccines to prevent myxomatosis: heterologous and homologous. In the first case, the antigen is the live Shope fibroma virus while in the second case it is the live attenuated myxoma virus, both belonging to the Poxvirus family, Leporipoxvirus genus.

Vaccination by the different systems did not affect the health status of rabbits but it did produce nodules at the inoculation site, mainly in groups vaccinated by intradermic route, where the presence and size of the nodules were closely related to serological response. Although no differences due to the administration system were found in the serological response, subcutaneous injection and two-shot intradermic administration provided the most homogeneous responses.