title: Transmission of Lawsonia intracellularis to weanling foals using feces from experimentally infected rabbits.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate whether feces from rabbits experimentally infected with Lawsonia intracellularis were infectious to foals. Two rabbits were infected with L. intracellularis, while two rabbits served as controls. Eight foals received daily feces from either the infected or the control rabbits. All rabbits and foals were monitored daily for clinical signs for the entire study period (21days for rabbits, 42days for foals). Feces and blood were collected for the PCR detection of L. intracellularis and serologic analysis, respectively. None of the infected rabbits or foals developed clinical signs compatible with proliferative enteropathy. All infected rabbits and foals shed L. intracellularis in their feces and all seroconverted. The results support the role of rabbits as asymptomatic amplifiers of L. intracellularis and their role as sources of infection for susceptible foals.
authors: Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. npusterla@ucdavis.edu
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Pusterla
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Sanchez-Migallon Guzman
authors: F A
authors: FA
authors: Vannucci
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Mapes
authors: A
authors: A
authors: White
authors: M
authors: M
authors: DiFrancesco
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Gebhart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045824:Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006736:Horses; D020639:Lawsonia Bacteria; D011817:Rabbits