title: Experimental study of pathogenicity of Pasteurella multocida serogroup F in rabbits.
abstract: The role of Pasteurella multocida serogroup F in inducing disease in rabbits was investigated in this study. Three groups of 12 Pasteurella-free rabbits each were intranasally (i.n.), subcutaneously (s.c.), and perorally (p.o.) challenged, respectively. Six rabbits of each group were immunosuppressed using dexamethasone. Eight rabbits (four of them immunosuppressed) inoculated i.n. showed symptoms of respiratory distress resulting in respiratory failure and died or were euthanized in the terminal stage of the disease 3-6 days post-infection (p.i.). The main pathological findings were fibrinopurulent pleuropneumonia (immunocompetent rabbits) or diffuse haemorrhagic pneumonia (immunosuppressed rabbits). Septicemic syndrome ending with shock occurred in 11 rabbits (6 of them immunosuppressed) inoculated s.c., which died or were euthanized in the terminal stage of the disease 2-3 days p.i. The most significant pathological findings were extensive cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions. All of the p.o. inoculated rabbits survived the challenge showing no clinical signs of the disease and no macroscopic lesions. The observations in this study indicate that in addition to serogroups A and D of P. multocida, serogroup F also can be highly pathogenic for rabbits and therefore might be a cause of considerable economic loss in commercial rabbit production.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic. jaglic@vri.cz
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jaglic
authors.forename: Edita
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jeklova
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leva
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kummer
authors.forename: Zdenka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kucerova
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faldyna
authors.forename: Jarmila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maskova
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nedbalcova
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alexa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010326:Pasteurella Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016979:Pasteurella multocida / Q000145:classification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011817:Rabbits; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014774:Virulence