Background: Encephalitozoon cuniculi is an important microsporidian parasite with zoonotic potential. The present\nstudy highlights the impact of encephalitozoonosis on rabbit health in Egypt. Three rabbit farms in Giza, with\na total of 16,400 rabbits were investigated due to occurrence of rabbits displaying clinical signs consistent with\nencephalitozoonosis.\nResults: Clinical signs observed during a 4 months observation period in 2018 included vestibular disease, paresis,\nlimb paralysis, cataracts, phacoclastic uveitis, frequent urination, marked decrease in body weight and in some\npregnant females, also repeated abortions. The total morbidity rates in adult and young rabbits were 76.7% and\n81.5%, respectively. The highest mortality rate was recorded in offspring (12.3%), followed by dams (5.6%), and the\nlowest recorded mortality rate was in males (0.04%). Post-mortem findings included enteritis, pale enlarged kidneys,\ncongested leptomeninges, focal brain necrosis, and endometrial congestion. Histopathological examination revealed\nnonsuppurative meningoencephalitis and glial nodules with central necrosis in the brain, vacuolation and necrosis of\nrenal tubular epithelium, and corneal ulceration and ruptured lens capsule with fragmentation of lenticular fibres. E.\ncuniculi were observed in the brain, retinal ganglion cells, kidneys, and liver. Transmission electron microscopy examination\nrevealed the presence of different developmental stages of E. cuniculi in the brain and kidney. Presence of E.\ncuniculi was confirmed by conventional polymerase chain reaction using a universal 16S gene for Encephalitozoon\nspp. followed by sequencing and sequence analysis.\nConclusions: The presence of E. cuniculi in rabbits was confirmed at three farms in Egypt. Nervous signs and ocular\nlesions were the most predominant findings in these farms.
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