Enterocolitis

Enterocolitis in rabbits is a disease detected for the first time in West France around 1996. The disease spread rapidly to other European countries during 1997 and 1998. Currently, it is present in 90-95% of farmed rabbit populations in various intensity of the manifested clinical symptoms.

The disease has peracute (very rapid) to acute progress and is associated with high mortality (30 – 80%). Reduced volume of consumed fodder tends to be the first symptom. This is followed by apathy and bloating. A small amount of watery diarrhea is one of the typical clinical symptoms. The fact that therapy with regular antibiotics is not effective is a major problem for breeders.

Weaned rabbits are the most frequently affected group (aged 6 to 14 weeks). However, breeding animals and sometimes even suckling kits suffer from this disease.

Initial assumptions of the cause

Naturally, similar to all diseases affecting the digestive tract, breeders initially looked for the cause in the fodder. Especially where farmed rabbits are fed exclusively complete feeding mixture, breeders believed that the composition, content of individual components or the premix composition causes this problem. Breeders and vets alike also looked for the cause of this disease in the content of mycotoxins, pesticides, etc. in the feeding mixture.

All of these hypotheses have been gradually eliminated. They have been disproven by successful experimental infection of healthy rabbits with contents of the digestive tract of dead or sick rabbits demonstrating the symptoms of enterocolitis. Only a contributory effect of the factors referred to above to enterocolitis is currently being considered.

Causes

It is a polyfactorial disease, which is probably caused by:

• viruses: Rotaviruses (group of viruses causing especially acute diarrheal diseases), Caliciviruses (small viruses causing diarrheal diseases), Parvoviruses (group of DNA viruses), Circoviruses;
• bacteria: E.coli, clostridium (group of gram positive anaerobic bacteria capable of creating spores to survive for example in soil for a long time. They commonly appear in the digestive tract of mammals), Klebsiella (bacteria causing inflammation and festering diseases), other enterobacteriaceae, streptococci);
• parasites: pasaralus, coccidia.

Other non-infectious factors also contribute to the illness and many of these can be influenced by breeders. These concern especially the hygiene of breeding, care for the animals and the quality of fodder.

Dissemination of the disease

The disease is transferred exclusively horizontally, via direct or indirect transfer, i.e.:

• by contact between healthy and sick animals (focal spread of the disease is often observed in farmed rabbit populations, when animals in neighboring pens contract the disease);
• contamination of cages, tools, feeders, etc.;
• breeder.

Clinical symptoms

a) primary – loss of appetite, apathy, stomach distension and bloating, constipation and mucus in feces can be observed gradually in sick animals;

b) secondary – diarrhea and death.

Pathological anatomical finding

Dissection confirms stasis (halt) of the bodily fluids in the stomach. Stomach tends to be filled with soft slushy matter with significant gas content.

The small and the large intestine is dilated (widened) and filled with gas. In 40-60% of cases, the intestines are filled with mucus. The mucous membrane is free of macroscopic changes.

Breeding measures

As with all diseases, the prevention of enterocolitis is also a prerequisite for all diseases!

Very important is the state of the animal’s immune system (proper vaccination against plague, myxomatosis, pasterelle). Perfect hygiene of breeding, disinfection of breeding equipment, feeders, crutch, etc. are necessary.

The origin of the disease also affects the quality and the way of feeding. In this context, it is necessary to emphasize regular feeding rather than in smaller doses, gradual feeding transitions and minimize feed changes. It is also very important to acidify the water to pH 4.2.

Literature and other sources used:

D. Licois, P. Coudert. Le point des recherches sur l’enterocolite épizootique du lapin. 8èmes journées de la recherche cunicole. Paris, 9-10juin 1999. Séance pathologie : Ed ITAVI 33-36

http://www.tours.inra.fr/urbase/internet/resultats/enterocolite/richard.htm