• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Encephalitozoon cuniculi

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?
 
Yes unfortunately many of us have first hand experience of having a Rabbit/Rabbits with EC.

There is still much research to be done but according to a recent lecture at the RWAF Conference the best we can do now is treat our Rabbits with a 28 day course of Fenbendazole (Panacur/Lapizole), paying particular attention to cleaning of the environment on days 21 and 28 of treatment.
A 10% Bleach solution will kill EC spores (which are shed in the Rabbit's urine)
The spores can survive for up to a month outside the host so it is of great importance that all in contact Rabbits are treated and that no other Rabbit has access to the terrain of those Rabbits on treatment.

Panacur Rabbit Paste and Lapizole are the only licenced forms of Fenbendazole to treat Rabbits but it is much more economical to use the Panacur 10% liquid which contains the same active ingredient (Fenbendazole)
The 9 day 'preventative' course of Panacur Rabbit/Lapizole suggested by the manufacturers is now considered to be pointless. So after the '0ne off' 28 day course the current thinking is that treatment is only required again should clinical symptoms of EC present.

But EC prevention/treatment is still very much an evolving subject and all of the above info may well change yet again !!
 
If a bunny lived with a guinea pig and it died of Encephalitozoon Cuniculi, would the guinea pig probably have got it from the bunny?
 
EC Cleaning?

Presley has been through a battery of tests to work out what is wrong with his digestion. In the blood test he has shown a high level of antibodies to EC. He is not currently showing any symptoms of EC and his digestion has recovered with nearly 3 months of hay alone.

My question is: I understand that I will have to disinfect his house and litter tray on the specific days of his treatment. He is a house rabbit and is totally free range. He rarely has an accident but will there not still be spores present in my house ie in the carpet etc and if so what should I do??

Thank you xx
 
If a bunny lived with a guinea pig and it died of Encephalitozoon Cuniculi, would the guinea pig probably have got it from the bunny?

Its spead by inhalation or ingestion of spores passed by an infected animal so if your piggy and bun lived together and one died from it I'd def contact your vet for guidance.

You'll probably need to worm your bun and give the cage a good clean with 10% bleach solution.
 
Yes unfortunately many of us have first hand experience of having a Rabbit/Rabbits with EC.

There is still much research to be done but according to a recent lecture at the RWAF Conference the best we can do now is treat our Rabbits with a 28 day course of Fenbendazole (Panacur/Lapizole), paying particular attention to cleaning of the environment on days 21 and 28 of treatment.
A 10% Bleach solution will kill EC spores (which are shed in the Rabbit's urine)
The spores can survive for up to a month outside the host so it is of great importance that all in contact Rabbits are treated and that no other Rabbit has access to the terrain of those Rabbits on treatment.

Hi Jane

Do you mind me asking why it is the 21 and 28 day of treatment that everything should be cleaned? Sorry its probably a stupid question, the vet never mentioned this to me though. I will make sure I do it just wondered why those days? :) x
 
I'm guessing it is to do with the cycle from when the spores are ingested/inhaled and when they are shed in the infected rabbits urine so that you catch the spores in order to prevent re-ingestion.
 
Back
Top