Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
05:38
A Versatile Model of Hard Tick Infestation on Laboratory Rabbits
Published on: October 6, 2018
Encephalitozoon cuniculi in pet rabbits
F M Harcourt-Brown1, H K R Holloway
1IDEXX Laboratories, Grange House, Sandbeck Way, Wetherly, West Yorkshire LS22 4DN.
The Veterinary Record
|April 24, 2003
Summary
Serological testing for Encephalitozoon cuniculi in pet rabbits revealed a high prevalence of infection, particularly in rabbits with clinical signs like head tilt. Many asymptomatic rabbits also tested positive, indicating potential for silent spread.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Rabbit Health
Background:
- Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a common parasite in rabbits.
- Infection can cause neurological, renal, and ocular signs.
- Serological testing is a key diagnostic tool.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review serological test results for Encephalitozoon cuniculi in pet rabbits.
- To correlate serological status with clinical signs and outcomes.
- To assess infection prevalence in asymptomatic and symptomatic rabbits.
Main Methods:
- Serological testing for Encephalitozoon cuniculi antibodies.
- Analysis of blood samples from 125 pet rabbits.
- Categorization of rabbits into asymptomatic and symptomatic groups based on clinical signs.
Main Results:
- 23% of apparently healthy rabbits were seropositive.
- 66% of asymptomatic rabbits housed with seropositive companions were seropositive.
- Head tilt was the most common neurological sign (91%) in seropositive rabbits with clinical disease.
- All rabbits with ocular lesions (9/9) were seropositive.
Conclusions:
- Serological evidence of Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection is common in pet rabbits.
- Clinical signs such as head tilt and ocular lesions are strongly associated with seropositivity.
- Further investigation into transmission and management strategies is warranted.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Rabies
Rabies is a lethal zoonotic disease caused by a single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus of the Lyssavirus genus, within the family Rhabdoviridae. Its primary mode of transmission to humans is through bites or saliva-contaminated scratches from infected mammals such as dogs, bats, raccoons, or foxes. Transmission can also occur if infectious saliva contacts abraded skin or intact mucous membranes, including the conjunctiva.Viral Entry and Early ReplicationOnce introduced at the bite or scratch...
01:28Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...