Sire Transmission of Acquired-Resistance to Myxomatosis

Abstract

Male rabbits that had recovered from myxomatosis transmitted to their offspring some factor that increased by 22% the offspring's probability of survival to myxoma virus challenge. The degree of protection transmitted differed between sires challenged with different myxoma strains and between sires challenged with myxoma virus and those challenged with Shope's fibroma virus (SFV). We suggest that future tests of the resistance of wild rabbits should be designed to minimise or eliminate the sire effect.