ABSTRACT
The former manifests as redness and oedema of the external genitalia, followed by vesicles and scabs. Lesions can also be found on the head, around the muzzle, from autoinoculation. Myxomatosis in rabbits causes swelling of the mucocutaneous junctions of the anogenital region, as well as swelling of the head, ears and eyelids. Anogenital swelling could also occur secondary to bacterial infection, such as Staphylococcus aureus. b Diagnosis of rabbit syphilis involves identification of the organism by dark-field microscopy of scrapings, histology using silver dye, or serology. Bacterial and fungal culture may also be indicated. Skin biopsies should be taken to differentiate between Treponema and myxomatosis infections in the absence of other clinical signs.
