Experimental respiratory infection with Pasteurella multocida and Bordetella bronchiseptica in rabbits

Eight-to-10-wk-old offspring of a colony of specific pathogen free [Eda:(NZW x FG)F1BR] rabbits were exposed to cultures of Pasteurella multocida and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Two groups of 9 animals each were exposed to cultures of either species of bacteria intranasally and killed 2, 7, 14, and 21 da postinoculation. Five of 9 rabbits in each group developed a mucopurulent nasal discharge 4-7 da postinoculation. The remaining 4 rabbits in each group failed to develop clinical signs. The gross and microscopic lesions did not differ in character or distribution among the inoculated rabbits. The infection was characterized by an acute upper respiratory syndrome accompanied by a mild bronchopneumonia.