| Summary Information |
| Diseases / List of Bacterial Diseases
/ Disease summary |
| Alternative Names |
- Campylobacter-like bacterial infection in rabbits
- Proliferative enteropathy in rabbits.
|
| Disease Agents |
Lawsonia
intracellularis, an obligate intracellular parasite.
- Formerly known as "Campylobacter-like organism". (J26.27.w1,
J495.46.w2)
- This organism is also the primary pathogen in porcine intestinal
adenomatosis. (J495.46.w2)
|
| Infectious
Agent(s) |
-- |
| Non-infectious
Agent(s) |
--
|
| Physical
Agent(s) |
--
|
| General Description |
Clinical signs
- Lethargy and inappetance. (J26.27.w1)
- Diarrhoea.(J26.27.w1,
J27.66.w2, J27.70.w1)
- Faeces mucoid and semi-fluid. (J26.27.w1)
- With associated weight loss. (J27.70.w1)
- Infection can be subclinical. (J26.35.w1)
- Dual infection with Escherichia coli
resulted in unexpectedly high mortality. (J93.36.w3)
Pathological findings
Gross pathology
- In rabbits with clinical disease:
- GIT: Proliferative lesions of the small intestine, caecum
and colon and/or suppurative or erosive and suppurative
caecocolitis. (J26.27.w1)
- In seven- to eight-week-old sentinel rabbits with subclinical
disease: (J26.35.w1)
- GIT: Distal ileum wall thickened; the mucosa was
thickened and corrugated. (J26.35.w1)
- In rabbits with diarrhoea:
- Dehydrated carcasses, emaciation (scanty subcunaeous and
intra-abdominal fat). (J27.70.w1)
- GIT: mucosa of the small intestine (jejunum to ileum)
severely thickened. (J27.70.w1)
- Lymph nodes: enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. (J27.70.w1)
Histopathology
- In rabbits with clinical disease:
- GIT: In the small intestine, caecum and colon, multifocal
to diffuse epithelial cell proliferation and lamina propri
accumulation of lymphocytes and/or macrophages. In some of these
rabbits, and in others without proliferative lesions,
suppurative or erosive and suppurative caecocolitis. (J26.27.w1)
- In affected tissues, staining with Warthin-Starry stain showed
curved or spiral intracellular bacteria. (J26.27.w1)
- Immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal or polyclonal
antibodies against the agent of proliferative enteritis in pigs,
hamsters and ferrets showed Campylobacter-like bacteria within the
epithelial cells. (J26.27.w1)
- In seven- to eight-week-old sentinel rabbits with subclinical
disease: (J26.35.w1)
- GIT: Ileal mucosa thickened, with epithelial cell
hyperplasia of villae and crypts. Also blunting and fusion of
villi. (J26.35.w1)
- In enterocytes of villi and crypts, clusters of slightly
curved rods within the cytoplasm of enterocytes in
hyperplastic areas. The intracellular organisms were
argyrophilic with Warthin-Starry stain. Identity of the
organism confirmed by immunohistochemical staining with a Lawsonia
intracellularis-specific monoclonal antibody of porcine
origin. (J26.35.w1)
- In rabbits with diarrhoea:
- GIT: Hyperplasia and degeneration of the epithelium of
the small intestine, with severe inflammatory infiltration of the
lamina propria (lymphocytes, heterophils, macrophages and
multinucleate giant cells). Epithelial cells showed variations in
the positioning of their nuclei, reduction in cell height, and
microvilli were absent; additionally, "crypt-abscess"
and reduced goblet cell density. (J27.70.w1)
- In the juvenile rabbit, the mucsa appeared granulomatous due
to severe thickening with an infiltration of macrophages and
giant cells. (J27.70.w1)
- With Warthin-Starry silver stain, numerous intracellular
curved bacilli in the luminal edge of the epithelium and in
macrophages in the lamina propria. (J27.70.w1)
- Mesenteric lymph nodes: follicular hyperplasia,
peripheral histiocytosis. (J27.70.w1)
|
| Further Information |
Diagnosis
- Presence of the intracellular organism in enterocytes in
histologically visible affected areas of the GIT; increased visibility
with Warthin-Starry stain. (J26.27.w1,
J27.70.w1)
- Immunohistochemical staining of affected gut sections. (J26.27.w1,
J26.35.w1, J27.66.w2,
J27.70.w1)
- PCR of
faecal samples (J27.66.w2)
and of samples from affected intestine. (J27.70.w1)
- ELISA.
(J27.66.w2)
Occurrence in lagomorphs
- Seen in suckling rabbits, weanlings and young adults. (J26.27.w1)
- Detected in a six-week-old female New Zealand white rabbit with
diarrhoea. (J27.66.w2)
- Seen in adult Oryctolagus cuniculus - European
rabbits housed in a field at a wildlife park in Japan, and in
a conventionally-housed three-month-old female rabbit. (J27.70.w1)
|
| Associated Techniques |
|
| Host taxa groups /species |
|
| Disease Author |
Debra Bourne MA
VetMB PhD MRCVS (V.w5) |
| Referees |
William Lewis BVSc CertZooMed MRCVS (V.w129) |