Enzootic pasteurellosis in rabbits

Abstract

Bacterial examination of nasal passage secretions of rabbits from farms in the rural area around the City of Rio de Janeiro, revealed the presence of enzootic pasteurellosis on four (30.8%) of the 13 farms studied. Of the 1,100 rabbits tested, 16.7% were carriers of Pasteurella multocida. The average incidence of carrier rabbits increased to 30.8% when only the contaminated farms were considered. The persistency of the presence of P. multocida in the nasal cavities was evaluated by periodic testing of nine rabbits over a 5 to 11 month period. The organism was observed at all of the examinations and no variation was observed due to season of the year. In the respiratory tract of 46 carriers, P. multocida was isolated from the nasal passages in 100% of the cases, from the larynx, in 52.1% and from the lungs in oniy 6.5%, revealing a strong selectivity for the anterior respiratory tract.