Transmission of Lawsonia intracellularis to weanling foals using feces from experimentally infected rabbits.

The research paper investigates whether foals can contract the Lawsonia Intracellularis bacteria from the feces of infected rabbits. It concludes that rabbits can amplify the L. Intracellularis bacteria without showing symptoms and can serve as a source of infection for susceptible foals.

Research Methodology

• The study used four rabbits and eight foals. Two of the rabbits were experimentally infected with the L. intracellularis bacteria, while the other two were used as controls.
• The foals were exposed to the feces of either the infected or the control group rabbits on a daily basis.
• All test animals were monitored daily for 21 days in the case of rabbits and 42 days in the case of foals for any possible clinical symptoms of the infection.
• Every day, samples of feces and blood were collected from all test animals for PCR detection of the bacteria and a later serologic analysis respectively.

Findings and Conclusion

• No clinical signs related to proliferative enteropathy were observed in either the infected rabbits or foals. This indicates that they did not show outward symptoms of the disease.
• PCR detection showed the presence of L. intracellularis in the feces of infected rabbits as well as foals. This lent proof to the idea that rabbits could serve as asymptomatic amplifiers for the bacteria.
• A serologic analysis revealed that the foals had undergone seroconversion, wherein their bodies had begun producing antibodies against L. intracellularis. This indicated that they had indeed contracted the bacteria from the infected rabbits.
• The study thus concludes that not only can the L. intracellularis bacteria proliferate within rabbits without any noticeable symptoms, but it can also be subsequently caught by susceptible foals. This implicates rabbits as potential sources of the L. intracellularis bacteria in foals.