Seroprevalence of antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi in domestic rabbits in the United Kingdom

Serum samples from 97 clinically healthy domestic rabbits were tested for antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi by an indirect ELISA technique. Fifty (52 per cent) of them were seropositive. The samples were taken as part of a routine health screen or before general anaesthesia at 22 veterinary practices in England, Scotland and Wales, and the veterinary surgeons were asked to complete a questionnaire to provide information concerning the animal’s husbandry, diet, vaccination, health status and any preventive medicine routines. None of these factors was found to be associated with the serological status of the rabbits.

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