Experimental Encephalitozoonosis in the Blue Fox: Clinical,Serological and Pathological Examinations of Vixens after Oral and Intrauterine Inoculation |
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| Authors: | S F Mohn K Nordstoga I W Dishington |
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| Institution: | National Veterinary Institute, Oslo, and the Department of Pathology and Department of Biochemistry, Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 8146, Dep., Oslo 1, Oslo, Norway |
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| Abstract: | Inoculations of vixens with Encephalitozoon cuniculi (E. cuniculi), performed orally, either before or in the gestation period, or directly into the uterus at oestrus, induced clinical encephalitozoonosis in the offspring. The infection of the vixens, indicated by a general E. cuniculi antibody response, appeared to run a subclinical course. Endometritis was detected in some of the vixens when examined at the end of the trial. A temporary increase of total protein, albumin and globulin in the inoculated vixens compared to the controls was detected in the final 2 weeks of the gestation, concomitantly with the rise in humoral E. cuniculi antibody titres. The antibody levels appeared significantly higher in the group of vixens inoculated directly into the uterus than in the orally inoculated groups. Vixens exposed to the parasite seemed to possess a certain degree of acquired resistance to re-infection with the parasite when exposed in the following breeding season. |
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| Keywords: | blue fox vixens encephalitozoonosis clinical signs serology pathology |
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