Introduction

Classification

Taxonomy

• Family: Poxviridae.
• Subfamily: Chordopoxvirinae.
• Genus: Leporiposvirus   Pox viruses: overview  .

Active Forms

Clinical Effects

Epidemiology

Transmission

• Biting arthropods such as fleas   Flea infestation  , mosquitoes, fur mites   Cheyletiella parasitovorax  and biting flies.
• Possible close contact.

Pathological effects

• Virus replicates at the site of entry and is transported to the draining lymph nodes where further virus replication causes viremia and subsequent development of widespread secondary skin lesions.
• Mild infection results in multiple small, firm, pinkish spherical fibromas   Fibromatosis  . These are subcutaneous benign tumors.
• In very young rabbits disease may become systemic and lethal.
• Differential diagnosis of skin lesions are Myxoma virus   Myxoma virus  and early papilloma tumors   Papilloma virus  . Diagnosis is via biopsy.
• Having been infected once, animals mount a good immune response and the condition is usually self-limiting in 6-8 weeks.

Other Host Effects

• Rare infections of Shope fibroma virus causing ocular disorders such as keratitis   Eye: keratitis - overview  and cataracts   Eye: cataract  have been reported.

Control

Control via environment

• Control of insect vectors.

Diagnosis

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Keller R, Hendrix D V, Greenacre C (2007) Shope fibroma virus keratitis and spontaneous cataracts in a domestic rabbit. Vet Ophthal 10 (3), 190-195 PubMed.
• Krogstad A P, Simpson J E, Korte S W (2005) Viral disease of the rabbit. Vet Clin North Am Exotic Anim Pract 8 (1), 123-138 PubMed.

Other sources of information

• Quesenberry K et al (2012) Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents Clinical Medicine and Surgery. 3rd edn. Elsevier.
• Pragg E (2010) Skin diseases of Rabbits. Website:www.medirabbit.com.
• Percy D H et al (2007) Pathology of Laboratory Rodents and Rabbits. 3rd edn. Blackwell Publishing.