An outbreak of massive mortality among farm rabbits associated with Cryptosporidium infection |
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| Authors: | A Kaupke E Kwit RM Chalmers MM Michalski A Rze?utka |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Food and Environmental Virology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Al. Partyzantów 57, 24-100 Pu?awy, Poland;2. Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, Public Health Wales Microbiology, Singleton Hospital, Swansea SA2 8QA, UK;3. Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury, Oczapowskiego 13, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland |
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| Abstract: | Cryptosporidium in farm rabbits is not often recognised due to a low prevalence and asymptomatic course of infection. Nonetheless, incidences of fatal diarrhoeic diseases are frequently noticed in the rabbitries. In this article, we report an outbreak where there was massive mortality among farm rabbits associated with Cryptosporidium infection. The disease was characterised by profuse diarrhoea resulting in the death of rabbits. A pooled faecal sample was screened for a presence of parasites using microscopy methods. In the tested sample no other parasites other than Cryptosporidium oocysts were found. Further identification of the parasite species was performed at a molecular level, using the 18 SSU rRNA, COWP and LIB13 PCR followed by a subtyping at the GP60 gene locus. Sequence analysis of GP60 gene fragment revealed the presence of a novel subtype VbA24 of Cryptosporidium cuniculus. In this outbreak a Cryptosporidium protozoan parasite played a major role in the etiology of the gastrointestinal disorders in rabbits resulting in massive mortality of the infected animals. |
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| Keywords: | Cryptosporidium cuniculus Rabbit Diarrhoea Subtyping |
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