# Rabbitpox

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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rabbitpox.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbitpox
> Source revision: 1334336534
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{{Short description|Species of virus}}
{{Virusbox
| parent = Orthopoxvirus
| species = Orthopoxvirus vaccinia
| virus = Rabbitpox virus
}}

'''Rabbitpox''' is a disease of [rabbit](/source/rabbit)s caused by a [virus](/source/virus) of the genus ''[Orthopoxvirus](/source/Orthopoxvirus)'' in the family ''[Poxviridae](/source/Poxviridae)'',<ref name="Medilexicon">{{cite web
| url = http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=99011
| title = Medical Dictionary - 'rabbitpox virus'
| accessdate = 2007-04-03
| publisher = mediLexicon
}}</ref> and closely related to [vaccinia virus](/source/vaccinia_virus).<ref name="pmid17686856">{{cite journal |vauthors=Adams MM, Rice AD, Moyer RW |title=Rabbitpox virus and vaccinia virus infection of rabbits as a model for human smallpox |journal=Journal of Virology |volume=81 |issue=20 |pages=11084–95 |date=October 2007 |pmid=17686856 |pmc=2045566 |doi=10.1128/JVI.00423-07 |url=}}</ref>  Rabbitpox was first isolated at the [Rockefeller Institute](/source/Rockefeller_University) in [New York](/source/New_York_City) in 1933, following a series of [epidemic](/source/epidemic)s in the laboratory rabbits.<ref name="Upton">{{cite journal
 | quote =
 | author = C. Upton
 | date = August 12, 2005
 | title = Complete coding sequences of the rabbitpox virus genome
 | journal = Journal of General Virology
 | volume = 86
 | issue =Pt 11
 | pages = 2969–2977
 | url = http://vir.sgmjournals.org/cgi/reprint/86/11/2969.pdf
 | accessdate = 2007-04-03
 | doi = 10.1099/vir.0.81331-0
 | pmid =16227218
 | last2 =Chen
 | first2 =N
 | last3 =Roper
 | first3 =RL
 | last4 =Feng
 | first4 =Z
 | last5 =Hunter
 | first5 =A
 | last6 =Danila
 | first6 =M
 | last7 =Lefkowitz
 | first7 =EJ
 | last8 =Buller
 | first8 =RM
 | last9 =Upton
 | first9 =C
 | doi-access =free
 }}</ref> It is an acute disease only known to infect laboratory rabbits as no cases have been reported in wild rabbits; it cannot infect humans.<ref name="Merck">{{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
| url-status = dead
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070416030732/http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171327.htm
| archive-date = 2007-04-16
}}</ref>

==History==
Rabbitpox has not been recognised in wild rabbits, however a few outbreaks have been reported in the USA since 1930.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171327.htm |title=Merck Veterinary Manual |access-date=2007-02-24 |archive-date=2007-02-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205181815/http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171327.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Symptoms==
*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 at [necropsy](/source/necropsy) are a skin rash, [subcutaneous](/source/subcutis) [edema](/source/edema), 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](/source/myxomatosis). The virus may be isolated or the infection diagnosed serologically by methods appropriate to [vaccinia](/source/vaccinia). Rabbitpox virus is closely related immunologically to vaccinia virus, consequently rabbits that have been inoculated with the [smallpox](/source/smallpox) (vaccinia virus) vaccine have immunity against rabbitpox.

==Danger to humans==
Rabbitpox virus does not infect humans.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q7278643}}

Category:Rabbit diseases
Category:Poxviruses
Category:Animal viral diseases
Category:Infraspecific virus taxa

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rabbitpox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbitpox) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbitpox?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.