Diagnosis of the Encephalitozoon cuniculi infections in pet rabbits with neurological symptoms

Abstract

The purpose of the study was the in vivo diagnosing of E. cuniculi invasions in pet rabbits with neurological symptoms using the Real-Time PCR, and determination of the rate of invasion, in this group of animals. The study involved 103 pet rabbits with neurological symptoms. Parasitic invasions were diagnosed using Real-Time PCR. The DNA of the parasites for molecular tests was isolated from the urine of the diseased animals. Out of the 103 tested DNA samples, the presence of the E. cuniculi genetic material was detected in 27 samples (26.21%). The melting temperature (Tm) of all products was 77.5 o C. The presence of parasitic DNA in the urine of 26.21% of examined animals indicates that E. cuniculi infections occur widely in pet rabbits in Poland and are a significant cause of neurological disorders in those animals.

Histochemical study ofEncephalitozoon cuniculispores in the kidneys of naturally infected New Zealand rabbits

“…1,48 This micro-sporidian was first reported in 1923 as causing encephalitis and renal disease in domestic rabbits. 49,63 Since then, many studies have been undertaken to detect and identify the infective spores of E. cuniculi in tissue of infected individuals. Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection, as an emerging disease, has become a new chapter in infectious diseases and an important theme in animal and human health.…”

Zoonotic Risk of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in Animal-Assisted Interventions: Laboratory Strategies for the Diagnosis of Infections in Humans and Animals

“…Diagnosis of E. cuniculi infections in wild and pet animals is actually based on different strategies, including histopathology, serological testing, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot, indirect immune fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and molecular testing, which includes different types of polymerase chain reactions (PCR) [10,50,51,54,[85][86][87]. However, E. cuniculi diagnosis has equally gained an increase in importance in human health, since the microsporidia can live in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals and cause important illness in the latter [77,80,83,88,89].…”

“…In another research, the presence of E. cuniculi was tested by real-time PCR in pet rabbits exhibiting neurological symptoms. DNA was collected from urine, and 26.21% (27/103) of the diseased animals tested positive for the presence of the parasite's genetic material [86]. Although PCR techniques are often used for E. cuniculi detection, post-mortem detection gives better results when compared to fluid testing, as both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals can sporadically shed spores and both positive and negative detection do not guaranty a correct diagnosis [10,18].…”

Clinical problems in small mammals: Eleven-year retrospective study

“…Gatunek Lata niculi, z uwagi na podobne objawy, bywają niekiedy mylone z zapaleniem ucha środkowego (6,16,18,20). Należy także zwrócić uwagę na znaczenie profilaktyki drobnych ssaków utrzymywanych jako zwierzęta towarzyszące (3-5, 7, 14).…”