Lab Animal Disease Coccidiosis PDF

Lab animal disease Coccidiosis This disease caused by protozoa of genus Eimeria and it may have intestine or hepatic form. Infection occurs through the gastrointestinal tract. Usually it is the young rabbits, just after the weaning that get sick. Etiology Liver coccidiosis is caused by Eim...

Lab animal disease Coccidiosis This disease caused by protozoa of genus Eimeria and it may have intestine or hepatic form. Infection occurs through the gastrointestinal tract. Usually it is the young rabbits, just after the weaning that get sick. Etiology Liver coccidiosis is caused by Eimeria stiedae and intestinal coccidiosis by E. magna, E. perforans and E. irresidua. Clinical signs: 1. Loss of appetite and emaciation 2. They don’t eat, they have bristly and matt fur. 3. Pale mucosa membrane 4. Blood and mucosa in feces 5. Anemia 6. Diarrhea in terminal stage and leading quickly to body dehydration and pot belly and death 7. in sever cases of intestinal intussusception, convulsion or paralysis or fatality may occur 8. in severe cases of hepatic coccidiosis weakness, liver damage and bile duct damage may occur followed by coma 9. The sick rabbits are sleepy and apathetic. Postmortem findings: 1. In the hepatic form there is additional swelling of the liver, yellowing of the mucous membranes and often urination. 2. Small greyish white nodules in the liver in E. stiedae infections 3. Older lesions coalesce and form cheesy masses 4. In intestinal coccidiosis the contents of the intestine are soft and the lesions pinhead size. 5. Greyish white flakes in the intestinal wall 6. Thickened and pale intestinal wall in more advanced cases 7. Oocysts present in the intestinal content Differential diagnosis :. 1. Pasteurellosis 2. Tuberculosis 3. Pseudotuberculosis 4. listeriosis 5. Salmonellosis Fig. 213: Coccidiosis. Enlarged liver with multifocal greyish-white coalescing lesions and yellowish liquid pus caused by E. stidae. Pasteurellosis (Snuffles, pneumonia) The Pasteurella species cause various diseases in rabbits. The most common organisms are Pasteurella haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida. Pasteurella haemolytica infection in rabbits is associated with chronic rhinitis (colds), pneumonia or death. Pasteurella multocida causes chronic rhinitis, colds, snuffles, pneumonia, peritonitis and septicemia. Clinical signs: Chronic rhinitis (Colds): 1. Sneezing 2. Clear, watery or thick-yellow nasal discharge 3. Soiled discolored fur on the inner side of the front legs 4. Muzzle covered with discharge Rabbits usually do not recover from this infection and may have periodic flare-ups of the cold. The colds may lead to classically described snuffles and further to pneumonia. Snuffles (Contagious catarrh): This is a chronic and destructive form of cold in rabbits. 1. Frequent “snuffles” and forceful loud sneezing in rabbits 2. Mucoid to cream coloured purulent nasal discharge 3. Purulent conjunctivitis and cloudy eyes 4. Death due to weakness and secondary pneumonia or septicemic infection Pneumonia: 1. Elevated temperature 2. Dullness and noisy forceful breathing 3. Bluish ears and eyes 4. Death anywhere from 12 hours to 4 days. The survivors may be stunted. Peritonitis: 1. High temperature 2. Fast and shallow breathing 3. Reluctance to move due to sore abdomen Septicemia: 1. A dead rabbit may be the first sign 2. Extreme weakness and high temperature 3. Difficult (heavy) breathing  4. Bluish discoloration of the ears and skin 5. Abortion in breeding does Abscesses: 1. Abscesses on the neck, dewlaps, ribs and back 2. Abscesses in the mammary gland of a doe Eye and middle ear infection: 1. Partial or complete blindness 2. Pronounced head tilt (may fall over easily) 3. Inability to right themselves Mastitis: Swollen, bluish glands in lactating does. Ulceration and sloughing may occur with discharge of pus from diseased tissue. Metritis: 1. White discharge from the vulva 2. Abortion with poor breeding success Arthritis: Enlarged, painful swollen joints Postmortem findings: Snuffles: Inflammation and necrosis of nasal passages which contain mucoid to white purulent material Pneumonia: 1. Consolidated inflamed area in the lungs. Deep red, sharply demarcated lung lesion and whitish purulent material in the bronchi 2. Cheesy material (fibrin) on the pleura 3. Inflammation of the pericardium and trachea 4. Death caused by inflammation of pleura and collapsed lungs Peritonitis: 1. Yellow-white deposits (fibrin) on the peritoneum and abdominal cavity 2. Abdominal organs adherent to the peritoneum and with one another Septicemia: 1. Hemorrhages on body fat and heart muscles  2. Enlarged body organs 3. Bluish discoloration of body tissues Abscesses: Walled off abscesses containing white creamy cheesy pus. Eye and middle ear infection: 1. Normal eye structure is obliterated by white or yellow puss 2. White pus in one or both middle ears with rare extension to the brain Mastitis: Swollen mammary gland with red to blue discoloration and congestion. White abscesses may be observed in the gland. Metritis: Distended uterus contains white pus. Arthritis: Cloudy fluid and pus present in the leg joints Differential diagnosis: 1. Salmonellosis 2. Coccidiosis. 3. Bacteria such as E. coli, Pseudomonas, Listeria and Proteus may cause metritis in rabbits. 4. Staphylococcus aureus has been cultured from mastitis, metritis and arthritis cases. 5. Streptococcus spp 6. Actinomyces pyogenes from abscesses. Fig. 211: Pasteurellosis. Yellowish-white fibrinous deposits in the abdominal cavity. Genital Infections: Infection occurs by venereal transmission. Metritis, orchitis, and epididymitis often develop into abscesses. Female rabbits may have a vaginal discharge which may be serous to mucopurulent and/or a history of infertility. Otitis media and interna: Torticollis may be seen in ~15% of rabbits with otitis media and occurs when inflammation extends to the vestibular apparatus. Bullae are filled with serosanguinous to purulent material