title: Serological survey of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in farm rabbits in Italy.
abstract: Rabbit sera (n=1600) from 40 commercial farms were submitted to a serological screening for Encephalitozoon cuniculi by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a carbon immunoassay (CIA test). Antibodies anti-Encephalitozoon cuniculi were found in 505/1600 (31.6%) sera analysed, and all the farms (100%) resulted positive. Rabbits older than 4 months showed a significantly higher seropositivity for E. cuniculi (chi-squared test: p<0.0001) than rabbits under 4 months, E. cuniculi sero-prevalence showed an increasing trend in rabbits within the farm along with the increase in the "number of rabbits on the farm"; however, this trend was not significant (Spearman's correlation: p=0.073). The findings of the present study confirm that rabbit is the main reservoir of E. cuniculi; they are of epidemiological relevance and immediate public health importance because of the recognized infectivity in humans by the microsporidium.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Patologia e Sanità Animale, Università di Napoli Federico II, via F. Delpino, 1, 80137, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santaniello
authors.forename: Ludovico
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dipineto
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: Lucia Francesca
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Menna
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cringoli
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fioretti
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D016573:Agrochemicals; D000818:Animals; D009670:Encephalitozoon cuniculi; D016890:Encephalitozoonosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011817:Rabbits; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D016573:Agrochemicals