Authors: Yeh Jung-Yong
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Lawsonia intracellularis in Farmed Rabbits Proliferative enteropathy, caused by *Lawsonia intracellularis*, represents a significant enteric disease in equine and porcine populations worldwide, yet the role of rabbits as potential disease reservoirs has remained largely unexplored despite experimental evidence of subclinical infection across multiple species. Jung-Yong's 2023 cross-sectional investigation examined seroprevalence and bacterial shedding in 774 farmed rabbits across 163 farms, utilising immunoperoxidase monolayer assay for serology and real-time PCR on rectal swabs for direct pathogen detection. Antibody positivity was documented in 6.3% of individual rabbits (49/774) and 12.3% of farms (20/163), whilst active shedding of *L. intracellularis* DNA occurred in 1.2% of rabbits (8/667) and 3.8% of farms (6/156), demonstrating both exposure and ongoing transmission within rabbit populations. Critically, farms housing pigs or horses—either on-site or neighbouring—showed significantly elevated seropositivity rates, as did rabbits with documented diarrhoeal episodes in the preceding three months, suggesting direct epidemiological links between species. For equine professionals managing multi-species properties, these findings underscore the importance of biosecurity protocols that address rabbit populations as potential *L. intracellularis* vectors, particularly where proximity to affected equines or pigs exists.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Rabbits can harbor and shed L. intracellularis; consider them a potential disease reservoir when managing multi-species farms with horses or pigs
- •Diarrhea outbreaks in rabbit populations warrant investigation for L. intracellularis as a potential zoonotic or cross-species transmission risk
- •Biosecurity protocols on farms with both rabbits and horses/pigs should account for L. intracellularis as a cross-species pathogen
Key Findings
- •L. intracellularis antibodies detected in 6.3% of rabbits (49/774) and 12.3% of farms (20/163)
- •L. intracellularis DNA detected in 1.2% of rabbits (8/667) and 3.8% of farms (6/156)
- •Presence of pigs or horses on farm or neighboring farm significantly increased seropositivity risk (p < 0.05)
- •History of diarrhea on farm in preceding 3 months significantly increased odds of L. intracellularis positivity (p < 0.05)