Pasteurellosis in Rabbits

In domestic rabbits, pasteurellosis is a primary respiratory disease entity caused by Pasteurella multocida. Respiratory pasteurellsos in rabbits is highly contagious due to dissemination of the organism in the nasal discharge (Benirschke, et al., 1978). The disease reflects a varied and complex host-parasite relationship. Acute infection with high mortality occurs sporadically especially in stressed rabbits less than 10 weeks old, in the form either an enzootic pneumonia, infection of the upper respiratory tract or septicemia. In addition to respiratory form, infection with P. multocida results in a variety of disease processes in rabbits including rhinitis, otitis media, otitis interna, abscesses, metritis, orchitis and meningoencephalaitis (Manning et al., 1989). The deleterious effects of pasteurellosis are common and pose serious problems for rabbit breeders and researchers (Flatt, 1974). (omitted)