myxomatosis
noun
myx·o·ma·to·sis
mik-ˌsō-mə-ˈtō-səs 
: a condition characterized by the presence of myxomas in the body
specifically
: a severe viral disease of rabbits that is caused by a poxvirus (Leporipoxvirus myxoma) and transmitted by mosquitoes, biting flies, and direct contact and that has been used in the biological control of rabbits especially in Australia
Examples of myxomatosis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 1952, physician and bacteriologist Paul-Félix Armand-Delille injected two wild European rabbits with myxomatosis virus, a type of pox disease.
—
Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025
Eventually, a myxomatosis vaccine was developed, and the disease was more or less brought under control.
—Susan Orlean, The New Yorker, 29 June 2020
These rabbits never develop the skin tumors or any of the classic symptoms of myxomatosis.
—Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2017
When Britain's rabbits died of myxomatosis in the 1950s and farmers simultaneously stopped grazing cattle, the grass got longer, the ground got cooler, the ants left, and the butterflies became endangered.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
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Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025
Eventually, a myxomatosis vaccine was developed, and the disease was more or less brought under control.
—Susan Orlean, The New Yorker, 29 June 2020
These rabbits never develop the skin tumors or any of the classic symptoms of myxomatosis.
—Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2017
When Britain's rabbits died of myxomatosis in the 1950s and farmers simultaneously stopped grazing cattle, the grass got longer, the ground got cooler, the ants left, and the butterflies became endangered.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
Cite this Entry
“Myxomatosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myxomatosis. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
myxomatosis
noun
myx·o·ma·to·sis
mik-ˌsō-mə-ˈtō-səs
plural myxomatoses
-ˌsēz
: a condition characterized by the presence of myxomas in the body
specifically
: a severe viral disease of rabbits that is caused by a poxvirus (Leporipoxvirus myxoma), is transmitted by mosquitoes, biting flies, and direct contact, and has been used in the biological control of wild rabbit populations
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