Pasteurellosis - Rabbit

Introduction

Pasteurella multocida is a very small, non-motile, gram-negative, ovoid, coccoid or short rod. It is aerobic and facultatively anaerobic.
Pasteurella multocida can reside in the nasal cavity of rabbits without causing disease. Such rabbits are carriers and can infect in contact animals.
It seldom causes disease in pet rabbits, but can cause serious infection in colonies of rabbits kept for breeding, meat or fur production or in laboratories.
Pregnancy, parturition, lactation, poor husbandry, overcrowding, stress, nutritional deficiencies, genetic predisposition and bacterial virulence all affect the course of the disease, which can lead the bacteria to multiply uncontrollably and overwhelm respiratory tract defences.
The bacteria is spread to newborn rabbits shortly after birth by infected does which harbour the infection in their nasal cavity. The incidence of disease increases with age up to about 5 months of age. Infection can extend from the upper respiratory tract to the rest of the respiratory tract and tympanic bulla.
Transmission of disease occurs by direct contact and by airborne spread. Fomite spread and contaminated water supplies have also been implicated.

Clinical signs

Infection can be acute, subacute or chronic.
The most common presentation of disease is:

• Rhinitis (Snuffles): Manifested by
  • Serous then purulent nasal discharge
  • Sneezing and coughing
  • Audible respiratory noise (snuffling)
  • Yellow staining and matting of fur on the forelimbs

Other syndromes include:

• Pneumonia: Either acute and rapidly fatal or chronic with incidental pneumonic lesions found during post-mortem examination of apparently healthy rabbits
• Genital infection: The bacteria can be found in the vagina of a high number of carrier animals and can be spread at mating. Pyometra can be a manifestation of pasteurellosis.
• Wound infections and abscesses: