An outbreak of cecal mucosal hyperplasia in hamsters

Cecal mucosal hyperplasia associated with diarrhea, runting, and high mortality in suckling and weanling hamsters occurred as a natural disease outbreak in a production colony. Young hamsters were runted, and their perineal hair was stained and matted with liquid feces. Their ceca were thickened, contracted, congested, and had scant luminal content. There were severe hyperplasia of cecal crypts, accompanied by increased mitotic activity, inflammation, and focal mucosal erosion. A variety of bacteria was isolated, but none was considered pathogenic. No relationship of cecal hyperplasia to transmissible ileal hyperplasia of hamsters was found. Hyperimmune serum from hamsters with transmissible ileal hyperplasia did not react by immunofluorescence against hyperplastic cecal mucosa. Electron microscopy did not reveal a caustive agent. Transmission attempts have been unsuccessful. Cecal mucosal hyperplasia is apparently a newly discovered disease entity in hamsters with the clinical sign of diarrhea.