title: Encephalitozoon cuniculi: Grading the Histological Lesions in Brain, Kidney, and Liver during Primoinfection Outbreak in Rabbits.
abstract: This is the first confirmed report of Encephalitozoon cuniculi (E. cuniculi) in farm meat rabbits located in Northern Mexico. Eighty young rabbits exhibited clinical signs of this zoonotic emerging disease, like torticollis, ataxia, paresis, circling, and rolling. Samples of brain, kidney, and liver were examined for histology lesions. For the first time the lesions caused by E. cuniculi were graded according to their severity (I, II, and III) and the size of the granulomas (Types A, B, and C). The main cerebral injuries were Grade III, coinciding with the presence of Type C granulomas. The cerebral lesions were located in the cortex, brain stem, and medulla. The renal lesions were also Grade III distributed throughout cortex and renal medulla, with no granuloma formation. The involvement of hypersensitivity Types III and IV is suggested. All of the rabbits were seropositive to E. cuniculi by CIA testing, suggesting that this zoonotic and emerging pathogen is widely distributed among animals intended for human consumption. We believe this work could be used as a guide when examining E. cuniculi and will provide direction to confirm the diagnosis of this pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Calle Francisco Villa s/n, Ex-Hacienda El Canadá, 66050 Escobedo, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Tovar
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Calle Francisco Villa s/n, Ex-Hacienda El Canadá, 66050 Escobedo, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Alicia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nevárez-Garza
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Calle Francisco Villa s/n, Ex-Hacienda El Canadá, 66050 Escobedo, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trejo-Chávez
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Nutrición y Forrajes, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Calle Francisco Villa s/n, Ex-Hacienda El Canadá, 66050 Escobedo, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hernández-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Patobiología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Calle Francisco Villa s/n, Ex-Hacienda El Canadá, 66050 Escobedo, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6229-5655
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hernández-Vidal
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Epidemiología Veterinaria, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Calle Francisco Villa s/n, Ex-Hacienda El Canadá, 66050 Escobedo, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zarate-Ramos
authors.affiliation: Cuerpo Académico de Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Calle Francisco Villa s/n, Ex-Hacienda El Canadá, 66050 Escobedo, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Uziel
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Castillo-Velázquez