Myxomatosis is a devastating viral disease affecting wild and domestic rabbits, causing immense suffering across populations in Europe and Australia.
Infected rabbits experience severe conjunctivitis, swelling of the face and genitals, blindness, and respiratory failure. The suffering is prolonged and intense. In areas with high disease burden, populations of rabbits in distress are a common sight, raising serious questions about the ethics of biological control methods that cause mass suffering.