MTXOMATOSIS IN RABBITS (Oryctolagus cuniculus) IN QUISSAMA, RJ

Almeida, A.J.; Oliveira, F.C.R.; Carvalho, E.C.Q. & Mayen, F.L. [Ocurrence of Mixomatosis in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Quissama, RJ] Mixomatose em coelhos (Oryctolagus cuniculus) em Quissama, RJ. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinaria, 31(2):71-74, 2009. Hospital Veterinario, Laboratorio de Sanidade Animal, CCTA, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, Parque California, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ 28013-602, Brasil. E-mail: jardim@uenf.br. In a husbandry with 9% of animals with characteristic signs of Myxomatosis, ten rabbits were distributed into two groups to evaluate the macroscopic aspects and the histopathological alterations and to register the occurrence of the disease in the North of Rio de Janeiro State. Five animals with clinical signs of Myxomatosis and five healthy rabbits formed the experimental groups, which were included in group 1, rabbits with the following symptoms: anorexia; blepharoconjunctivitis and subcutaneous' swelling of the head and anogenital regions. Tissue samples were collected and fixed in 10% formalin solution. Pathologic alterations were not found in the material collected from healthy animals. Otherwise, the histopathology of fragments collected from the sick animals showed large stellate "myxoma cells" and large amounts of mucinous intercellular matrix with heterofilia and basophilic inclusions (Rivers' bodies). The clinical and histopathological changes lead to the diagnosis of the first outbreak of myxomatosis reported in the North of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.