PASTEURELLOSIS IN RABBITS: CASE REPORT.

Abstract

Pasteurellosis is a very common disease in livestock rabbits, contributing a lot in the mortality due to respiratory injuries. The incidence of pasteurellosis increases under stress conditions, such as pregnancy, lactation, incorrect handling, and extreme cold. The causal agent Pasteurella multocida, a commensal inhabitant of the digestive and upper respiratory tract of rabbits, causes the disease when physical resistance is lowered. The high density in cages also plays a role in the development of the infection. This paper reports clinical cases of pasteurellosis in White New Zealand rabbits from the Rabbit Production Sector of the Animal Husbandry Department, College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (Unesp), campus of Jaboticabal, Brazil. KEY-WORDS: Pasteurellosis. Pneumonia. Rabbits.