Myxoma virus is passively transmitted on the mouth parts of mosquitoes, (such as Aedes aegyptii) or fleas, and presumably other biting arthropods.

[citation needed] The genome is nonsegmented and contains a single molecule of linear, double-stranded DNA, 160,000 nucleotides in length.

[7]: 161 Myxoma virus is also capable of producing tumor necrosis factor receptor mimics to reduce the host's natural response to TNF.

The virus is able to get into the cells of many different species, though, including human, mouse, and monkey, which is generally useless if it is unable to replicate and avoid the immune system.

[citation needed] In 1993, the Australian government approved a modification of myxoma virus that would introduce genetic code into rabbit sperm and egg proteins.

[8] The myxoma virus has become of interest in human medicine because some of its proteins have strong immunosuppressive effects, and several of its virus-encoded immunomodulators are being developed to treat systemic inflammatory syndromes in people such as cardiovascular disease.

Myxoma virus also can infect many types of human cancer cells, which is being used to develop it as a virotherapeutic agent for virotherapy.