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Abstract
Nematode, cestode, protozoan, microsporidian, and pentastomid parasites affect domesticated and wild rabbits, hares, and jackrabbits of the genera Brachylagus, Lepus, Oryctolagus, Pentalagus, and Sylvilagus. Some endoparasite infections are of limited or no significance, whereas others have potentially profound consequences. Accurate identification of endoparasites of rabbits, hares, and jackrabbits is an important facet of the work of veterinary pathologists engaged in lagomorph pathology. Here I review endoparasites from the pathologist's perspective, focusing on pathogenesis, lesions, and implications of infection. Stomach nematodes Graphidium strigosum and Obeliscoides cuniculi are infrequently pathogenic but may cause gastritis and gastric mucosal thickening. Nematodes Passalurus ambiguus, Protostrongylus spp., Trichostrongylus spp., and Trichuris spp. are rarely associated with disease. Adult Capillaria hepatica (syn. Calodium hepaticum) nematodes and non-embryonated eggs cause granulomatous hepatitis in wild Oryctolagus cuniculus and Lepus europaeus, resulting in multifocal, off-white, hepatic lesions, which may be misdiagnosed as hepatic eimeriosis. When the rabbit is an intermediate host for carnivore cestodes, the space-occupying effects of Cysticercus pisiformis and Coenurus serialis may have pathologic consequences. Eimeria stiedai is a major cause of white-spotted liver in O. cuniculus, particularly in juveniles. Enteric coccidiosis is a noteworthy cause of unthriftiness in young animals, and frequently manifests as diarrhea with grossly appreciable multifocal off-white intestinal lesions. O. cuniculus is the natural host for the zoonotic microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Infection may be acute and focused mainly on the kidneys, or it may follow a chronic disease course, frequently with neurologic lesions. A latent carrier status may also develop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Hughes
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Jameel MS, Kalef DA. Investigations on the Role of Commercial Probiotics on New Zealand White Rabbits Experimentally Infected with Eimeria stiedae. COMP PARASITOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1654/copa-d-22-00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maab Salah Jameel
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad City, Iraq
| | - Dalia Ahmed Kalef
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad City, Iraq
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Chen H, Pu J, Xiao J, Bai X, Zheng R, Gu X, Xie Y, He R, Xu J, Jing B, Peng X, Ren Y, Yang G. Evaluation of the immune protective effects of rEmMIC2 and rEmMIC3 from Eimeria magna in rabbits. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:661-669. [PMID: 36572833 PMCID: PMC9792316 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07774-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Eimeria magna is a common pathogen in rabbits, which results in lethargy, weight loss, diarrhea, and even death in severe cases after infection. The current method for preventing rabbit coccidiosis is to add anticoccidial drugs to the diet. However, there are many concerns about drug resistance and drug residues. In our study, the rEmMIC2 and rEmMIC3 proteins were cloned and expressed to evaluate potential as recombinant subunit vaccine candidate antigens. The protective effects of rEmMIC2 and rEmMIC3 were evaluated by the relative weight gain ratio, oocyst decrease rate, anticoccidial index, feed conversion ratio, pathological alterations, clinical symptoms, specific IgG antibody, and cytokine levels in rabbits. The molecular weights of rEmMIC2 and rEmMIC3 were 18.69 kDa and 17.47 kDa, respectively. After the coccidia challenge, the control groups showed anorexia and soft poop, whereas the experimental group showed few anorexia symptoms. Significantly different from the control group, the relative weight gain ratios of the immunized rEmMIC2 and rEmMIC3 groups were 78.37% and 75.29%, respectively, and the oocyst reduction was 77.95% and 76.09%, respectively, and the anticoccidial index was 171.12 and 169.29, respectively. IgG antibody, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, and IL-17 levels were significantly increased in the experimental group. The results showed that rEmMIC2 and rEmMIC3 have potential as vaccine candidate antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
| | - Jiayan Pu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
| | - Jie Xiao
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
| | - Xin Bai
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
| | - Ruoyu Zheng
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
| | - Xiaobin Gu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
| | - Yue Xie
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
| | - Ran He
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
| | - Bo Jing
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
| | - Xuerong Peng
- Department of Chemistry, College of Life and Basic Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
| | - Yongjun Ren
- Sichuan Animal Science Academy, Chengdu, 610066 China
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, 610066 China
| | - Guangyou Yang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, 611130 China
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Sioutas G, Evangelou K, Vlachavas A, Papadopoulos E. Deaths Due to Mixed Infections with Passalurus ambiguus, Eimeria spp. and Cyniclomyces guttulatus in an Industrial Rabbit Farm in Greece. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10060756. [PMID: 34203975 PMCID: PMC8232700 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestic rabbits are commercially farmed for their meat whilst gastrointestinal diseases can hinder their production. Passalurusambiguus and Eimeria spp. are two common rabbit intestinal parasites that can cause diarrhoea, among other symptoms, and in severe cases, death. C. guttulatus is a commensal yeast of the rabbits’ stomach that is considered apathogenic but can worsen symptoms in rabbits suffering from coccidiosis. In the present case report, we describe an outbreak of deaths in three different age groups (A: lactating does, B: 58 days old and C: 80 days old) in an industrial rabbit farm in Greece. Symptoms included depression, diarrhoea, inappetence, weight loss, dehydration and ruffled furs. Using a faecal flotation technique, sick rabbits were found to be moderately to heavily infected with P. ambiguus, Eimeria spp. and C. guttulatus. Treatment with fenbendazole and oregano oil combined with hygiene control measures successfully controlled the infections and resolved clinical symptoms. A faecal flotation method or other reliable diagnostic technique should be used regularly in industrial rabbit farms to screen for gastrointestinal parasitic infections. Early diagnosis and control will help to maintain production levels and, therefore, limit financial losses for the farmer while ensuring animal welfare.
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Wei W, Shen N, Xiao J, Tao Y, Luo Y, Angel C, Gu X, Xie Y, He R, Jing B, Peng X, Yang G. Expression Analysis and Serodiagnostic Potential of Microneme Proteins 1 and 3 in Eimeria stiedai. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E725. [PMID: 32610686 PMCID: PMC7397282 DOI: 10.3390/genes11070725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Eimeria stiedai is an apicomplexan protozoan parasite that invades the liver and bile duct epithelial cells in rabbits and causes severe hepatic coccidiosis, resulting in significant economic losses in the domestic rabbit industry. Hepatic coccidiosis lacks the typical clinical symptoms and there is a lack of effective premortem tools to timely diagnose this disease. Therefore, in the present study we cloned and expressed the two microneme proteins i.e., microneme protein 1 (EsMIC1) and microneme protein 3 (EsMIC3) from E. stiedai and used them as recombinant antigens to develop a serodiagnostic method for an effective diagnosis of hepatic coccidiosis. The cDNAs encoding EsMIC1 and EsMIC3 were cloned and the mRNA expression levels of these two genes at different developmental stages of E. stiedai were determined by quantitative real-time PCR analysis (qRT-PCR). The immunoreactivity of recombinant EsMIC1 (rEsMIC1) and EsMIC3 (rEsMIC3) proteins were detected by Western blotting, and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) based on these two recombinant antigens were established to evaluate their serodiagnostic potential. Our results showed that the proteins encoded by the ORFs of EsMIC1 (711 bp) and EsMIC3 (891 bp) were approximately 25.89 and 32.39 kDa in predicted molecular weight, respectively. Both EsMIC1 and EsMIC3 showed the highest mRNA expression levels in the merozoites stage of E. stiedai. Western blotting analysis revealed that both recombinant proteins were recognized by E. stiedai positive sera, and the indirect ELISAs using rEsMIC1 and rEsMIC3 were developed based on their good immunoreactivity, with 100% (48/48) sensitivity and 97.9% (47/48) specificity for rEsMIC1 with 100% (48/48) sensitivity and 100% (48/48) specificity for rEsMIC3, respectively. Moreover, rEsMIC1- and rEsMIC3-based indirect ELISA were able to detect corresponding antibodies in sera at days 6, 8, and 10 post E. stiedai infection, with the highest positive diagnostic rate (62.5% (30/48) for rEsMIC1 and 66.7% (32/48) for rEsMIC3) observed at day 10 post infection. Therefore, both EsMIC1 and EsMIC3 can be used as potential serodiagnostic candidate antigens for hepatic coccidiosis caused by E. stiedai.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenrui Wei
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China; (W.W.); (N.S.); (J.X.); (Y.T.); (Y.L.); (C.A.); (X.G.); (Y.X.); (R.H.); (B.J.)
| | - Nengxing Shen
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China; (W.W.); (N.S.); (J.X.); (Y.T.); (Y.L.); (C.A.); (X.G.); (Y.X.); (R.H.); (B.J.)
| | - Jie Xiao
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China; (W.W.); (N.S.); (J.X.); (Y.T.); (Y.L.); (C.A.); (X.G.); (Y.X.); (R.H.); (B.J.)
| | - Yuanyuan Tao
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China; (W.W.); (N.S.); (J.X.); (Y.T.); (Y.L.); (C.A.); (X.G.); (Y.X.); (R.H.); (B.J.)
| | - Yuejun Luo
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China; (W.W.); (N.S.); (J.X.); (Y.T.); (Y.L.); (C.A.); (X.G.); (Y.X.); (R.H.); (B.J.)
| | - Christiana Angel
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China; (W.W.); (N.S.); (J.X.); (Y.T.); (Y.L.); (C.A.); (X.G.); (Y.X.); (R.H.); (B.J.)
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sakrand 67210, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Xiaobin Gu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China; (W.W.); (N.S.); (J.X.); (Y.T.); (Y.L.); (C.A.); (X.G.); (Y.X.); (R.H.); (B.J.)
| | - Yue Xie
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China; (W.W.); (N.S.); (J.X.); (Y.T.); (Y.L.); (C.A.); (X.G.); (Y.X.); (R.H.); (B.J.)
| | - Ran He
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China; (W.W.); (N.S.); (J.X.); (Y.T.); (Y.L.); (C.A.); (X.G.); (Y.X.); (R.H.); (B.J.)
| | - Bo Jing
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China; (W.W.); (N.S.); (J.X.); (Y.T.); (Y.L.); (C.A.); (X.G.); (Y.X.); (R.H.); (B.J.)
| | - Xuerong Peng
- Department of Chemistry, College of Life and Basic Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China;
| | - Guangyou Yang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, China; (W.W.); (N.S.); (J.X.); (Y.T.); (Y.L.); (C.A.); (X.G.); (Y.X.); (R.H.); (B.J.)
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