The reproduction of Eimeria flavescens and Eimeria intestinalis in suckling rabbits.
Suckling rabbits from six litters were orally inoculated at various ages with oocysts of Eimeria flavescens or Eimeria intestinalis. The total number of oocysts in the ceca served to estimate parasite reproduction. The rabbits at 14 and 16 days old remained uninfected, and in 19-day-old animals, low or no oocyst shedding was observed. All the older rabbits were infected and the number of oocysts in the ceca increased with the age of animals at inoculation. The dependence of oocyst production on the age of inoculated rabbits was similar in both coccidian species.
Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Institute of Parasitology, Branisovská 31, 370 05, Ceské Budejovice, Czech Republic. pakandl@paru.cas.cz
Michal
M
Pakandl
Lenka
L
Hlásková
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D002432:Cecum / Q000469:parasitology; D004539:Eimeria / Q000254:growth & development*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits