Encephalitozoon Cuniculi Infection in a Rabbit
摘要
Encephalitozoon cuniculi (E, cuniculh has been confirmed to infect a wide variety of host species, including rabbits and humans. It has been identified as a cause of encephalitis as well as chronic renal disease in rabbits, but the infections have not been well documented in Taiwan. A 4-month-old male dwarf rabbit with a seropositive history of E. cuniculi was presented with depression, inappetence, diarrhea, ataxia, and progressive neurological signs within a week. Intestinal coccidiosis was diagnosed and aggressive therapy was undertaken; however, no significant improvement was noted and the rabbit died on the fifth day after admission. A postmortem examination found a petechiated hemorrhages on the mucosa of the bladder and small intestines, and the kidneys were pitted and scarred. Histopathological examinations revealed non-suppurative granulomatous meningoencephalitis, chronic nephritis and hemorrhagic enteritis. Acid-fast stain, Gram stain, and polymerase chain reaction in cerebral samples with granulomatous lesion confirmed an infection of E. cuniculi in this case. In addition, Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae was isolated and identified from urine and lung tissue samples. The final diagnosis of this rabbit was a co-infection of E. cuniculi Klebsiellla pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniee, and Coccidia. To our knowledge this is the first report confirming E. cuniculi infection of rabbit in Taiwan.