myxomatoses

/ˌmɪksəməˈtoʊsiz/
noun
  1. A viral disease in rabbits, characterized by swelling, fever, and often death, caused by the myxoma virus.
    • Vaccines are available to protect pet rabbits from myxomatoses.
    • Myxomatoses spread rapidly through the wild rabbit population in the 1950s.
    • Farmers used myxomatoses to control rabbits that were damaging crops.