Rod, at 22:24 on May 23 1996, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

BG> Do these antibodies mean that the animal has developed an immunity,

RS> No, it means that the animals immune system reacted to
RS> that virus. It should not have done if the virus doesnt
RS> infect that animal. We dont have antibodys to say dog Parvo.

Quite right.  I have just returned from the library.  :)

BG> or that it has become a carrier,

RS> No, antibodies arent the virus itself, its what the body
RS> produces that FIGHTS a virus. So an antibody cant infect anyone.

Well done, that's what I read too.  :)

BG> and is then able to infect other species?

RS> And thats even more confused. The current idea is that rabbit calici
RS> virus is unique to rabbits, cant infect any other species. It doesnt
RS> even infect close ones like hares. What they are currently doing is
RS> testing to see if the rabbit calici virus can infect any native species,
RS> because obviously you dont want one of those to be decimated by it too.

Quite so, and it has indeed happened where a particular virus has spread
into an animal which normally wouldn't have been susceptible.  A good
example of this is a certain pig disease (can't remember the name off hand)
which, for some inexplicable reason, started infecting British racehorses
in the early 1980s.  Only a few were infected, mainly due to rapid
quarantine, but the possibility appears to exist regardless.

BG> Or, given it's original method of introduction, intentionally.

RS> Presumably you mean the escape from the island, 

Yep, exactly.

RS> that certainly wasnt intentional, and the detail of its
RS> spread is consistent with it being insect born.

Odd, I read up here that it had been done "accidentally" by a
disgruntled employee, but then one should not always believe the
newspapers, I guess.

BG> Any idea of the time frame involved?

RS> Immediately basically, the ones that didnt die in say the Flinders Ranges.

That quick, eh?  Fuck me.

BG> Do you know if any locally infected rabbits have managed to survive?

RS> Yes, there are survivors in the Flinders Ranges. Corse you
RS> can choose to just kill those with the traditional methods too.

And if they manage to breed, would it be reasonable to expect that their
offspring will also be immune?

BG> Any idea what it's related to, virus-wise?

RS> There are a range of them in animals. They are all called calici viruses.
RS> None of the others have anything like the mortality tho. And one of them
RS> is far more motile across species barriers too. Which is also a bit of a 
RS> worry.

Just as the pig to horse cross-infection has already proved.

Regards, Bill
@EOT:

--- MsgedSQ/2 3.30