Parasitic Diseases

Mange
It is a common contagious disease of rabbits causing high losses to rabbitries in
countries including Egypt.
Economic importance:
1-It causes severe emaciation leading to loss of meat.
2-It causes damage to skin leading to loss of fur.
3-Of public health significance.

There are two types of mange : ear and body mange.

A- Ear mange (ear canker)
Ear canker is one of the most common infections with back yard rabbits. The
parasite also often found in pets. On industrial rabbit farms it is less important.
Cause: Psoroptes cuniculi, a species of mites, causes this condition.
Its male430-547mu , female 789mu.
Symptoms:
Itching ears is the main symptom; the animals shake their heads and scratch. An
otoscope is usually not needed to see the lesions: greyish-white crusts in the ear
canals and the ear lobe .
Lesions are primarily located deep in the ear canal ,but extend to the earlobe and
sometimes, in cases where the general hygiene is inadequate, the skin the vicinity of
the ear is also affected.The infected ears release a bad odour.

Crusts formation on ear of rabbit

1
Diagnosis:
This is based on typical macroscopic aspect and/or microscopic examination of
the crusts for the mite or its eggs.
Differential diagnosis:
Sarcoptes scabiei also causes mange on the head , but it affect the outer surface
of the pinna . Psoroptic mange is much more common.
Treatment:
1-Topical application:
Amixture of mineral oil with an acaricide is sufficient.
With severly affected animals ,the crusts should be removed with mild detergent
solution before local treatment is started .
Commercailly available antibiotic-acaricide preparation used to treat ear mange in
cats and dogs are also effective .
Local treatments must be applied several times.
2- Injections: ivermectin can be applied : 400ug /kg body weight,via the
subcutaneous route.
Although a high tissue concentration of ivermectin is maintained for a period of at
least 13 days , in most cases , a second injection 15-17 days later is necessary .
Administering ivermectin is simpler than local treatment , both with serious cases ,
where the animals are suffering a great deal and therefore resist handling , and when
large numbers have to be treated.

B- Sarcoptic mange
Occurance :
This condition is seldom reported ; however , it seems to be a problem in some
rabbitries .
Cause : S.scabiei and S. cuniuli are the pathogenic organisms.
Its male and female ranged from 303mu-450mu .

2
Symptoms and lesions :
The infection starts on the nose tip and around the claws, and is characterized
by the formation of crusts that consist of exudate and coagulated fur.
Coagulated crusts and hairs on the nose tip often resemble a trumpet.Later on
,the earlobes can be infected too, but in contrast to psoroptic mange , the inner
earlobe is not affected . The lesions are painful and itch, the animals are restless, rub
their feet and scratch violently.

Crusts formation at nose tip

Differential diagnosis : Must be differentiated from psoroptic mange.

Treatment: Ivermectin is administereted:400ug /kg via a subcutaneous injection.

Fur mites( very common)

Two types occur: Cheyletiella Parasitvourax and Listrophorus gibbus.

Both are often considered apathogenic; however , this apprear not always to be case.

They can be seen with the naked eye on white rabbits when present in great
numbers; they appear as small black dots, most visible on the back of rabbits.
The damage they do is quite modest: loss of hair on the back , scally skin ,
itching. Affected animals may also show signs of restlessness. Many animals,

3
however, do not seem to be bothered by the parasites. This condition is particularly a
problem for raisers of show rabbits.
Treatment: Dichlorvos strips placed in the sheds is the main method of treatment. If
necessary, the animals can also be treated topically with an insecticide.
Other mites
Dermanyssus gallinae (red fowl mite) may attack mammals as well as fowl.
This parasite can infect rabbits that are housed with fowl, particularly
those in poorly constructed , unhygienic sheds. It can cause severe restlessness in
these animals.
Demodex cuniculi is generally considered to be a normal resident of the
epidermis and hair follicles of the rabbit.

Lice and fleas

Lice and fleas do not occur commonly with domesticated rabbits. However, the
European rabbit flea, Spilopsyllus cuniculi, is found frequently among wild rabbits
and is an important vector for myxomatosis.
Domestic rabbits that run free and dig tunnels can catch this flea if they come
into contact with wild rabbits. The parasite can be found in and around the auricles.
Occasionally, pet rabbits can get infected with cat fleas. Conversely, cats can
become infected with S. cuniculi. The parasite can be found in and around the earlobe
of the cat and causes dermatitis and thickening of the pinnae.

4
 Coccidiosis
In traditional rabbit keeping, coccidiosis has been, and still is, one of the
principal causes of sickness and death.

Industrial rabbitries also are affected by coccidiosis, although in these it

usually only results in retarded growth of the broiler rabbits.

This can be attributed to the better hygienic conditions attained with wire-
mesh floors, and to the addition of coccidiostats in the food pellets.

There are nine different Eimeria species that cause coccidiosis in rabbits; one
causes coccidiosis of the liver whilst the others are intestinal.

A-Hepatic coccidiosis

Cause: E. stiedae is the pathogenic organism.

Occurrence: This infection can be found in both traditional and industrial farms.
When the disease is endemic, only the young rabbits are affected; older rabbits
develop a strong immunity to E. stiedae, although not to intestinal Eimeria species.

Coccidiostats are usually added to feed, but most frequently used coccidiostat,
robenidin, which totally inhibits intestinal coccidiosis, lacks activity against E.stiedae

Pathogensis: E.stiedae excyst in the duodenum travel to the liver via the blood
stream or lymphatics and invades epithelial cells of bile ducts to begin schizogeny.

Symptoms:
The main symptom is retarded growth; seldom is there death. The disease is
most often discovered only at the time of slaughter.

Post-mortem lesions: An enlarged liver with multifocal flat , yellow-white

lesions containing yellow exudate. The enlarged liver often was 20% of total body
weight as compared with about 3.7% in normal rabbits.

Occasionally distended gall bladder may be present.

5
An enlarged liver with multifical flat, yellow-white lesions containing yellow
exudate.

Diagnosis:
Microscopic examination of a drop of gall bladder contents can detect the
presence of E. stiedae oocysts.

Microscopic examination of a drop of bile showing unsporulated oocysts

Treatment:
All the sulphonamides are effective (Sulphaquinoxalin, with or without
diaveridin or aminopterin (so-called sulphonamide potentiators), is recommended.

6
B-Intestinal coccidiosis
Cause: As already mentioned, there are eight different Eimeria species that cause
intestinal Coccidiosis(E.flavescens, E.intestinalis , E.irresidua, E.magna , E.media ,
E.perforans , E.piriforms and E.coecicola).

The task of distinguishing all these types from one another is the work of a
specialist, although some of the sporulated oocysts have such typical characteristics
that, with a little practice, they can be easily identified.

These distinctions are of significance because the different species vary

greatly in their pathogenic effects.

Some of species, such as E.flavescens and E. intestiinalis, are very pathogenic,

producing high mortality after experimental infection even with relatively low doses.

Others cause only slightly retarded growth, which in practice would simply go
unnoticed. E.magna, which causes serious diarrhoea and retarded growth, is easily
recognized by the little collar, or wings, at the level of the micropyle.

The nonpathogenic E.perforans can be distinguished by the absence of a

micropyle and by its very small size (20 x 13 urn).

The equally nonpathogenic E. coecicola can be recognized by its oblong shape.

Symptoms:
Vary and are most severe in young rabbits, poor weight gain, diarrhea ranging
from mucoid to watery to haemorrhagic and acute death.

Older rabbits may shed coccidial oocysts without showing clinical disease.

Post-mortem lesions:
Vary according to the causative Eimeria and include fluid intestinal content are
often observed in heavily parasitic rabbits, multiple white patches and ulcer on
mucosal surface of the small and large intestine may be seen. The caecum contains a
milk like fluid.
7
Diagnosis:
Clinical signs, postmortem lesions, microscopical examination of faeces and
mucosal scraping of intestine to detect oocyts.

The veterinarian must base his or her diagnosis on the number of oocysts per
microscopic field or per gram faeces, and on overall picture of symptoms and lesions.

oocysts per gram (OPG) faeces or intestinal contents determination can be useful

The presence of only a few oocysts not rule the diagnosis of coccidiosis as the
cause of death, however, it certainly does not confirm.

Differential diagnosis:
Must be differentiated from E. coli enteritis and clostridial enterotoxaemia.

Prevention and treatment:

Hygiene measures must be taken; otherwise, any other therapy will be futile.

Broiler rabbits should be housed on wire mesh rather than on straw.

Deep-pit systems are better in this respect, because in the deep layer of manure
the conditions do not permit sporulation.

As regards preventive treatment, most types of feed contain the very effective
coccidiostat, robenidine.

Also, its effectiveness against intestinal coccidiosis has decreased with time as
resistance has developed.

Ionophores, such as monensin and lasolacid, must not be used in rabbit feed as
coccidiostats because of their low safety margin in this species.

When an outbreak of coccidiosis occurs, treatment with sulphona-mides is indicated,

even when feed containing coccidiostats is already in use. The treatment should take
into account the possibility of reinfection: thus, a minimum of two periods of
treatment are required.

8
Good results are obtained with two periods of 7 days each, with a pause of 7 days in
between.

-Sulphamerazine (0.02% in D.W.) or 0.04% in feed for 7successive days.

-Sulphaquinoxaline 0.05% in D.W. or 0.03% in feed for 7successive days.

-Sulphamethoxine (75mg/kg B.W in feed) for 7successive days.

-Lasolacid (68-113 gm/Ton feed)provided in scheduls 3week on-3week off periods.

In addition to vitamins A,K3 ,D3, E to D.W. or feed during the treatment.

Cryptosporidiosis
Sporadically, cryptosporidia are seen during histological examination of the
intestinal lining of young broiler rabbits (4-6 weeks of age).

Usually they occur in association with other intestinal pathogens.

The pathogenic significance of this parasite in weaned rabbits is unknown.

In infant rabbits, however, they can cause serious growth retardation with
discrete and transitory diarrhoea.

Cryptosporidia can be detected in intestinal smears with the carbol-fuchsine

staining method.

Flagellates
On microscopic inspection, Giardia is sometimes found in the small intestine
contents of rabbits that have just died or been killed and the have had diarrhoea. The
significance of this observation is unknown.

When no other cause for diarrhoea is found, dimetridazole can be prescribed.

This drug appears also to be effective against some other forms of enteritis of
unknown aetiology.

9
Liver fluke (rare)

Cause: Fasciola hepatica occurs both in wild and domesticated rabbits that eat grass
from creek banks or wet pasture land.

Symptoms: These include cachexia, poor general condition and death.

Diagnosis: Presence of the parasite or its eggs may be demonstrated at autopsy or

during coprological examination.

Prevention: No feed grass should be taken from infected pasture land.

Tapeworms (rare)

Tapeworms are encountered only occasionally and almost only in wild rabbits.

Cysticercosis (common in ‘backyard’ rabbits)

Cause: The causative parasite is Taenia pisiformis.

It is one of the tapeworms found in dogs; the rabbit is an intermediate host.

Gross pathology:

The vesicles are located in the abdominal cavity, particularly in the mesentery
and to a lesser extent the liver . They are almost always discovered at the time of
slaughter, or during the autopsy after the rabbit has died of another disease.

In exceptional cases, when widespread migratory lesions have formed in the

liver after a very serious infection, a rabbit can die of cysticercosis. Cysticercosis is
seldom the cause of death, however, but is rather an indication of hygiene
shortcomings, and the search must be carried on to find other parasites.

Prevention:

To prevent this infection, contact between dogs and rabbits must be eliminated;
never feed dogs the entrails of rabbits.

10
Toxoplasmosis
Cause: The protozoa Toxoplasma gondii causes this disease.
After a "proliferative phase with a rapid intracellular development of tachyzoids, a
rest phase sets in, during which cysts appear in the tissues. This phase usually
remains latent in the animal.

The proliferative phase can result in serious illness in rabbits, with a high
mortality rate.

Occurrence:
There is a high level of seroprevalencs. Seropositive rabbits have cysts in their
tissues and most of them remain healthy.

In some circumstances, a true epidemic takes place, with a particularly high

incidence of illness and death among pregnant and nursing does.

The source of infection for toxoplasmosis in rabbits is feed contaminated by cat

faeces containing oocysts of T. gondii; this protozoa has an intestinal cycle in the cat.

As rabbits are herbivores, they cannot become infected by eating contaminated

meat or rodents.

Symptoms: The course of the disease may be acute or chronic.

• Acute form; anorexia, dullness, fever, death after a few days. Morbidity is highest
with pregnant or lactating does.

• Chronic form: almost always remains asymptomatic. Occasionally, central nervous

symptoms may be seen.

Gross pathology:

In rabbits that have died from the acute form, the following lesions are
observed: congestion of the organs, inflammatory lesions in the lungs and swelling of
the liver. Most noticeable is the swelling of the spleen, which may increase up to 10
rimes its normal size .
11
 Congestion of the lungs and enlargement of the spleen, which can reach
about 10 times its normal volume.

Diagnosis:

This is not always easy. In the acute form, tachyzoids can be seen in
impression smears from the spleen and even more so in those from the liver, stained
with the haematologieal technique. They can also be detected in histological sections.

The tachyzoids, however die out quickly after the death of the host; a few hours later
they can no longer be found.

Another method of diagnosis is isolation in mice, through intraperitoneal injection of

a suspension prepared from the rabbit's spleen and liver tissue.

The serological test (Sabin-Feldman test) can be useful for the diagnosis of chronic
toxoplasmosis.

Treatment: Potentiated sulphonamides can be tried.

Prevention: Contamination should be avoided.

Possible sources of infection include fresh greens, straw or pellets contaminated with
cat dung.

Rabbits that either have, or have had, toxoplasmosis seldom' constitute a danger
for humans because cysts in their tissues have little resistance to heat; normally rabbit
meat is well cooked and is not intended to be eaten raw. Direct handing of live rabbits
or of raw meat can present some danger. Animal other than cats do not transmit the
disease during the acute phase; the rabitt is important ,however ,as a reservoir that
keeps the cycle alive.

12