Sara0099
Young Bun
I was recently warned about this form my Veterinary Surgery. Has anyone else had experience with this? Thought I’d share with you my knowledge of this terrible disease Encephalitozoon cuniculi.
Encephalitozoon cuniculi, or E. cuniculi for short, is a protozoan parasite of rabbits, which can cause partial or completer paralysis and kidney disease. Rabbits pick up the organism via inhalation or ingestion of a spore form of the protozoa. It is thought it then travels via the blood to various organs in the body including the kidneys, eyes and brains. Once a rabbit has the disease it passes infectious spores in its urine. Transmission to another rabbit occurs by eating these spores in urine contaminated food and water. The unborn kits may also be infected across the placenta during pregnancy. Within the kidney, the protozoa reproduces and then is shed in the urine thus completing its life cycle and being a source of infection to other rabbits. While in the kidney it can destroy cells and thereby create scarring and pitting of the kidney tissue. This can result in the rabbit showing increased thirst and urination, weight loss and kidney failure or the rabbit may be a-symptomatic-meaning he shows no signs of the illness at all. The degree of illness or lack of illness depends on the number of protozoa the rabbit is exposed to and the body's immune response to these protozoa. If the organism migrates to the eyes it can result in sudden onset of eye inflammation and cataracts. If the organism travels to the brain, several possible scenarios can occur. The protozoa may just form cysts in the brain tissue and cause no damage or if the protozoa reproduces in the brain it can it can cause rupture of cells resulting in a severe inflammatory reaction. It is not known if the damage to the nervous system is due to the E. cuniculi organism itself or from an immune response to the organism. Regardless, infected rabbits can have partial or complete rear limb paralysis, head tilts, tremors or convulsions. . Regardless whether the exposed bunny becomes ill or not the protozoa completes its life cycle in 3-5 weeks (the time from ingesting a spore to the time it is shed in the infected rabbit's urine). E.cuniculi primarily infects rabbits and is a significant cause of disease. It is also important to rabbit owners since it is potentially zoonotic (can spread to humans) In most rabbits with E cuniculi the treatment is two-fold. First treating with an anti-parasite drug called fenbendazole for up to 21 days. And secondly, supportive care: good nutrition and drugs to control dizziness for those rabbits with head tilts, eye drops or ointments for those rabbits with eye inflammation and providing a comfortable and loving environment for rabbits with rear limb weakness. These rabbits require extra time and attention but can go on to live additional happy years. As with any chronic illness, our goal is to provide quality of life. Regular cage or litter box cleaning, to limit exposure of rabbits to infected urine, helps prevent this disease form spreading to other rabbits in your household.
Does anyone else know anything about this or have more info?
Encephalitozoon cuniculi, or E. cuniculi for short, is a protozoan parasite of rabbits, which can cause partial or completer paralysis and kidney disease. Rabbits pick up the organism via inhalation or ingestion of a spore form of the protozoa. It is thought it then travels via the blood to various organs in the body including the kidneys, eyes and brains. Once a rabbit has the disease it passes infectious spores in its urine. Transmission to another rabbit occurs by eating these spores in urine contaminated food and water. The unborn kits may also be infected across the placenta during pregnancy. Within the kidney, the protozoa reproduces and then is shed in the urine thus completing its life cycle and being a source of infection to other rabbits. While in the kidney it can destroy cells and thereby create scarring and pitting of the kidney tissue. This can result in the rabbit showing increased thirst and urination, weight loss and kidney failure or the rabbit may be a-symptomatic-meaning he shows no signs of the illness at all. The degree of illness or lack of illness depends on the number of protozoa the rabbit is exposed to and the body's immune response to these protozoa. If the organism migrates to the eyes it can result in sudden onset of eye inflammation and cataracts. If the organism travels to the brain, several possible scenarios can occur. The protozoa may just form cysts in the brain tissue and cause no damage or if the protozoa reproduces in the brain it can it can cause rupture of cells resulting in a severe inflammatory reaction. It is not known if the damage to the nervous system is due to the E. cuniculi organism itself or from an immune response to the organism. Regardless, infected rabbits can have partial or complete rear limb paralysis, head tilts, tremors or convulsions. . Regardless whether the exposed bunny becomes ill or not the protozoa completes its life cycle in 3-5 weeks (the time from ingesting a spore to the time it is shed in the infected rabbit's urine). E.cuniculi primarily infects rabbits and is a significant cause of disease. It is also important to rabbit owners since it is potentially zoonotic (can spread to humans) In most rabbits with E cuniculi the treatment is two-fold. First treating with an anti-parasite drug called fenbendazole for up to 21 days. And secondly, supportive care: good nutrition and drugs to control dizziness for those rabbits with head tilts, eye drops or ointments for those rabbits with eye inflammation and providing a comfortable and loving environment for rabbits with rear limb weakness. These rabbits require extra time and attention but can go on to live additional happy years. As with any chronic illness, our goal is to provide quality of life. Regular cage or litter box cleaning, to limit exposure of rabbits to infected urine, helps prevent this disease form spreading to other rabbits in your household.
Does anyone else know anything about this or have more info?