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Question about pasturella

Is pasturella contagious

  • Yes, it is contagious

    Votes: 8 50.0%
  • No, it isn't contagious

    Votes: 3 18.8%
  • Never had a bunny with pasturella

    Votes: 5 31.3%

  • Total voters
    16

Snowy

Wise Old Thumper
There seems to be a difference of opinion over pasturella as to whether it's contagious or not, what are your opinions and have you ever had a bunny with pasturella?
 
I haven't voted because my opinions don't fit into any category.

I believe that pasteurella is contagious, but is much more likely to spread from mother to kits in utero or through milk.

I don't think the chances of a healthy adult rabbit 'catching' it from another rabbit are particularly high.

And I also believe that most rabbits carry the pasteurella bacteria without having symptoms.

I have a bun with some kind of 'snuffles' but I've never had her tested because for pasteurella because 1) the test isn't reliable, and 2) she suffers from lung congestion rather than a snotty nose, so I guess tests would have to be post mortem.
 
Yes, it is contageous but most Rabbits are exposed to one or more of the strains of Pasteurella at birth.

I have had several Buns presenting with Pasteurella like symptoms, mainly RTIs.
I would not expose a Bun with an active infection to other Buns but if symptoms resolve after abx treatment I would. Theoretically it is still a risk, the Bun being an asymptomatic carrier. But in my experience I have never had a problem with cross infection from a Bun with a known hx of Pasteurella but currently asymptomatic. I would have concerns exposing already immuno-compromised Buns to a Bun with a hx of active Pasteurella though.

If that makes sense :?

http://www.rabbit.org/care/pasteurella.html

http://www.galensgarden.co.uk/herbivores/health/pasteurella.php

*GRAPHIC IMAGES *

http://www.lbah.com/rabbits/pasteurella.htm#intro

Janex
 
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I think it is definatly contagious and that there is more than one strain. I also think it depends on a rabbit's resistance, diet, mental health and environment.
 
as far as I know it's contagious, within sneezing distance of an infected bun, but not all rabbits will have symptoms. I'm sure stress or old age/other medical problems will make a rabbit that's symptomless more likely to become ill with it, as that's the way it goes. You also need to be careful not to get pasteurella bacteria in any cuts you have - it's a nasty one to treat.
 
I agree with the others, I haven't voted because I do think it is contagious - if the other bun is susceptible, and there's not really any way of knowing if that is the case.

Santa has chronic snuffles and has lived with Dudley for the past 3.5 years and he has never so much as had a single sneeze. They have also lived close to and for a while with another pair and again, the other two haven't shown any symptoms. However, I don't think I would pair an active snuffler (or one who has regular episodes) with a non snuffler as I don't think you can necessarily tell if it's going to infect the other bun. Many times it probably won't but you might just be unlucky and bond a susceptible bun.
 
Apparently many dogs and cats (and presumably humans too?) carry the pasteurella bacteria, but it doesn't make them ill....so why do we always presume that an infection has come via another rabbit?

This is a topic I'm really interested in because after that hunter died of pasteurella (dubbed 'rabbit flu' by the press :roll:) I did a bit of research, and found that humans are more likely to contract pasteurella (albeit very rarely) from cats.

Can anybody help me figure this out (I am a very non science-y person)

Amy
 
The only bun I had with pasturella (Buster) didn't give it to his partner (Pippin), however I imagine it's because she didn't have a week immune system. I didn't vote, because I only have experiance with them and would hate to say either way.
 
Well ive spoken on here before about our old lady Amile-She had pasteurella which was passed on to 3 of our other bunnies. We lost Charlie to it as she was old and frail (10+ as it was) Joey cleared up almost instantly and it never came back, and just recently Suns has cleared up after treatment. Both Sun and Joey are now indoors and in contact with other rabbits and nothing has spread, so i would agree with Jane in that a bunny with strong symptoms is likely to pass this on, but one who has cleared up and returned to being completely healthy looking will not

From our experience i do believe this is linked with age, frailty, stress etc. I think its like us humans, with these factors the "bad" in our bodies can take over the good, like with gut flora and whatever...but with treatments and care and restoring the balance, in some buns it can be put back to a healthy level and they become like any other rabbit again. Certainly Joey has been stronger and healthier than ever since his symptoms which came and went very quickly, and Suns looking great too. Charlie was just too old though:(

:wave:
 
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My opinion is that like EC many rabbits are meerly carriers of Pasteurella and may never go onto develop symptoms.

I also believe that most rabbits who will develop active Pasteurella are born predisposed to it and that it will become active at times of stress or when the immune system is under pressure.

I have never yet had a Pasteurella sufferer appear to pass the infection to their partner but should the partner become ill I believe that is because they were already predisposed to contracting or showing pasteurella symptoms....and whose to say the partner was not a carrier anyway?

I dont know the exact figures but most domestic rabbits swab tested will show a pasteurella presence.
 
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I can only say that in my experience it hasn't been - not that I don't believe it is. Harry lives with 14 other rabbits, has severe pasturella but has always lived with the others and, apart from Lenny who shook his slight bout off with Baytril, none of them have shown any symptoms at all. I also had Bilbo come in with acute infection and it didn't affect the other three rabbits she lived with.
 
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