A Comparison in Terms of Prevalence, Morphological and Histopathological Changes between Eimeria spp. that Infect Local Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Some Regions of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: The epidemiology of parasitic infections is common in rabbit flocks and poses a significant threat to public health. And the most famous and influential of these causes are coccidia parasites, Coccidiosis in rabbits is an infection caused by intracellular protozoan parasites belonging to Eimeria, which is considered a major cause of significant morbidity and mortality. Methods: A total of 210 fresh feces samples of adult domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were collected from Riyadh City, Al Kharj and ADilam in Saudi Arabia to examine the incidence of the Eimeria infection of microscopically. Feces concentrated by the floatation technique. After that, freshly collected non-sporulated oocysts were suspended in 2.5% (W/V) potassium dichromate, placed in Petri dishes in the air, and allowed to sporulate at room temperature (25±3oC). The morphometric and specific characteristics of sporulated oocysts were studied by an Olympus microscope (BX51ggTF, OLYMPUS, Tokyo, Japan) using the oil immersion lens. Specimens were taken from all parts intestine and liver, and the tissues were kept in 10% formalin immediately and make tissue sections and that to study the histopathological change under light microscopic. Result: An investigation was conducted in three cities in the Riyadh area (Riyadh, Al Kharj and Adilam) to determine the incidence of Eimeria species that parasitize local rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). The overall frequency of these coccidial illnesses in rabbits in Riyadh City was 45.7%, in Adilam City it was 44.2% and in Al Kharj City it was 37.1%, respectively. There were five different species of Eimeria: E. magna, E. flavescens, E. exigua, E. striedae and E. coecicola, respectively. More than one species of Eimeria oocyst was obtained in the same examined sample. single-infection 13/90 (14.4%), dual-infection 39/90 (43.3%) and triple-infection 38/90 (42.2%). E. magna; E. flavescens; E. exigua; E. stiedae and E. coecicola, respectively. Significant differences (p less than 0.05) in prevalence were observed between the rabbits. Eimeria infection that affects the liver was confirmed by histopathological changes that were noted through the development of parasitic stages in the jejunum, ileum, cecum, end cecum and liver. It is possible to conclude that the current research offers pertinent information that aids in determining potential infection and future preventative measures against rabbit coccidiosis to lessen financial losses in the rabbit industry.