The eradication of Encephalitozoon cuniculi from a specific pathogen-free rabbit colony

Abstract

Encephalitozoan cuniculi was discovered in a large specific pathogen-free rabbit colony during routine quality assurance testing. By using a modified India-ink immunoreaction test we were able to test the entire colony for antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi. The prevalence of the disease was approximately 5%. All seropositive animals were culled, and another test of the entire colony, carried out 4 weeks later, revealed one seropositive rabbit which was also culled. Two subsequent screenings of the whole colony have shown no further seropositive animals.