All farmers need to carefully monitor the condition of their animals, and provide proper conditions for maintenance and care in order to avoid various diseases. One of the possible ailments is pasteurellosis, which will be discussed in this article.

What is this disease

Pasteurellosis is a bacterial infectious disease that develops in domestic and wild rabbits, as well as rabbits.

Check out the main differences between rabbits and hares.

The disease affects the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity, throat and trachea. Infection can be infected with reduced immunity due to the influence of environmental factors (cooling, moisture, sudden changes in weather), excessive nutrition or physiological stress.

Pathogen

The stick Pasteurella multocida, belonging to the genus Pasteurella, causes this disease. This species is variable and complex in terms of antigenic species and pathogenesis.

Sources and routes of infection

An infection can enter the body of a rabbit in many ways. Most often this happens:

• at birth (newborn animals become infected from the mother);
• through direct contact;
• airborne droplets;
• through common water vessels and other care products.

After bacteria enter the body, an asymptomatic infection appears in the upper respiratory tract. As the name implies, owners do not notice any changes in the behavior of the animal and any symptoms that may indicate a disease. A disease becomes noticeable only when the resistance to the virus of the body of an infected animal decreases or stops (during pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, excessive fullness of animals, stress and nutritional deficiency). The rabbit's genetic predisposition to the disease is also taken into account.

As a result of infection, rabbits can also be asymptomatic carriers.

Did you know? Rabbits are often mistakenly categorized as rodents. However, this is a completely different family of mammals - hare.

Clinical signs

Pasteurellosis has two forms: acute and chronic. Each has its own symptoms, the detection of which requires immediate action.

Acute form

The acute form (or hemorrhagic sepsis) is caused by highly virulent strains. It occurs suddenly and is characterized by a fast course and a high mortality rate. The incubation period is from 5 to 12 hours.

A disease usually begins with:

• temperature increase to 39 ° and above;
• depression
• Depression
• general weakness;
• lack of interest in food.

Find out why rabbits die for no apparent reason, and what to do.

Then pus may begin to stand out from the nose, runny nose, bronchitis, shortness of breath, diarrhea. In adult females, acute inflammation of the genital organs develops, which is accompanied by serous, mucous or mucopurulent outflow.

The acute form of pasteurellosis can last up to several days and usually ends in death.

Did you know? Currently, there are about 100 species of rabbits in the world.

Chronic

Animals that survive an acute infection develop a chronic form of the disease. This is most often found in individuals living in small groups. Rabbits that have been exposed to less virulent strains of infection (experiencing a common upper respiratory tract disease) become insensitive to strains with high virulence.

Signs:

• fibrillar bronchopneumonia;
• pericarditis;
• runny nose (initially serous, and then mucopurulent);
• purulent conjunctivitis;
• dyspnea;
• diarrhea;
• depression
• severe exhaustion;
• rapid weight loss;
• dull hair.

Abscesses form under the skin around the larynx and muscles, opening in a few weeks. In addition, there is inflammation of the middle and inner ear, which is manifested by a yellowish-gray discharge from the auditory canal. Females in the organs of the reproductive system begin to develop chronic inflammation, which leads to a decrease in fertility, and in pregnant rabbits, to self-abortion and purulent mastitis.

In males, purulent inflammation of the testicles is observed, which causes infertility. Most often, rabbits die after several weeks of illness, but sometimes with the help of medications their life can be extended to several months.

Important! Pasteurellosis is dangerous for people, therefore, if this infection is detected in a pet, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis must be carried out by a professional veterinarian. In order to make sure that the disease is caused precisely by the pasteurellosis bacterium, the doctor takes a smear from the mucous membrane or conducts a blood test. If the disease is confirmed, you can proceed to treatment.

Pathological changes

Pasteurellosis leads to the following consequences:

1. Severe hemorrhages on the mucous membranes and serous membranes and in many internal organs.
2. Inflammation of the catarrhal or purulent mucous membranes of the nose and sinuses.
3. The mucous membrane of the nose is significantly swollen, sometimes covered with point ulcers.
4. Lungs are enlarged, swollen, bloodshot. They have numerous formations accompanied by pneumonia.
5. There is a large amount of bleeding fluid in the trachea and chest cavity.
6. Purulent tracheitis, serous fibrinous pneumonia, pericarditis are observed.
7. Necrotic foci and granulomas appear in the liver.
8. Numerous abscesses form in the subcutaneous region, muscles, lungs, brain, and middle ear.
9. In females, purulent inflammations of the uterus and mammary gland are observed, while in males, purulent inflammation of the testicles is observed.

Important! The ears of rabbits are very sensitive and in no case can animals be caught for them.

How to treat pasteurellosis in rabbits

Animals that do not have clinical signs of infection, and those who are in contact with sick rabbits, should use the immune serum polysepsin. Infected individuals must be immediately isolated. Usually, veterinarians prescribe treatment for 3-5 days with broad-spectrum antibiotics and sulfonamides. The effectiveness of the treatment largely depends on the nutritional conditions and keeping the animals.

Unfortunately, the treatment of individual infected individuals in which the disease affects primarily the upper respiratory tract is not effective enough. Even transient doses of antibiotics give only a temporary positive effect. Sometimes they can only prevent complications of the disease process, but not cure it.

Is it possible to eat meat of sick animals

It is strictly forbidden to eat the meat of dead animals due to this disease, because the human body is susceptible to infection.

The meat of animals that had had pasteurellosis some time ago must be cooked for at least one and a half hours.

Important! When cutting the inside of a rabbit, you need to burn it so that other animals or birds do not become infected with the disease.

Rabbit Pasteurellosis Vaccine

There are many vaccination options, one of which is the Pasorin-ol vaccine. It is injected within the first 7 weeks of the animal, subcutaneously, in a dose of 1 ml of 0.5 ml on both sides of the neck. Animals with less body weight than 1 kg should receive a dose reduced from 0.5 to 0.9 ml, respectively. In an endangered environment, vaccination should be repeated after 2-3 weeks.

Immunity occurs within 2 weeks after injection and lasts a maximum of 3 months. Immunity is largely due to proper nutrition and hygienic conditions. The vaccine should not be used for sick animals or in females 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after giving birth. A few hours after the administration of the vaccine, an increase in body temperature from 0.5 to 1 ° C can be observed. After some time, the temperature returns to normal without treatment. An inflammatory reaction can occur at the injection site, which quickly disappears.

Read more about rabbit vaccination features.

General preventive measures

In order to avoid infection with this rabbit infection, some preventive measures must be followed. Given that this disease is characterized by a high mortality rate, the following recommendations can save not only the health, but also the life of the animal.

1. Improving the conditions of detention (controlling temperature fluctuations and maintaining the proper humidity level in the room).
2. Conducting periodic disinfection of premises and cages for rabbits using effective disinfectants.
3. Mass vaccination.

Pasteurellosis is an infectious and highly contagious disease of rabbits. The disease is widespread in large rabbit farms, where it causes large losses. Treatment is rarely successful, so it’s best to warn the disease by adhering to preventive measures and using vaccinations.

Video: Pasteurellosis in rabbits