Mites

Psoroptidae

Psoroptes

Psoroptes cuniculi

• Parasite of rabbits
• Epizootiology
  • Common among conventional rabbits; transmitted via contact.
• Clinical
  • The ears are painful and itch intensely; affected rabbits shake their heads and scratch their ears. The inner surfaces of the pinnae are covered with brown, scaly, fetid material, and the skin beneath is raw. Mites are grossly visible.
• Pathology
  • Histologically, there is chronic erosive and proliferative eosinophilic dermatitis. The mites are non-burrowing and thus are found only in the exudate, not in the tissue.
• Diagnosis
  • Appearance; examination for mites (low magnification).
• Control
  • Infestations are difficult to eliminate from a colony, although ivermectin is said to be effective.