Harrenstien Lisa A, Finnegan Mitchell V, Woodford Nina L, Mansfield Kristin G, Waters W Ray, Bannantine John P, Paustian Michael L, Garner Michael M, Bakke Antony C, Peloquin Charles A, Phillips Terry M
Oregon Zoo, 4001 Southwest Canyon Road Portland, Oregon 97221, USA.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2006 Dec;37(4):498-512. doi: 10.1638/05-002.1.
The Columbia basin subpopulation of pygmy rabbit Brachylagus idahoensis was listed as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in November 2001, and no pygmy rabbits have been seen in the wild since spring 2002. Captive propagation efforts have attempted to increase population size in preparation for reintroduction of animals into central Washington. Disseminated mycobacteriosis due to Mycobacterium avium has been the most common cause of death of adult captive pygmy rabbits. Between June 2002 and September 2004, mycobacteriosis was diagnosed in 28 captive adult pygmy rabbits (representing 29% of the captive population), in contrast to 18 adult pygmy rabbits dying of all other causes in the same time period. Antemortem and postmortem medical records were evaluated retrospectively to describe the clinical course of mycobacteriosis in pygmy rabbits, physical examination findings, and diagnostic test results in the diagnosis of mycobacteriosis in pygmy rabbits. Various treatment protocols, possible risk factors for mortality, and recommendations for prevention of mycobacteriosis were evaluated also. Compromised cell-mediated immunity appears to be the best explanation at this time for the observed high morbidity and mortality from mycobacterial infections in pygmy rabbits.
哥伦比亚盆地侏儒兔（Brachylagus idahoensis）亚种群于2001年11月被美国鱼类和野生动物管理局列为濒危物种，自2002年春季以来，野外再未见过侏儒兔。圈养繁殖工作试图增加种群数量，为将动物重新引入华盛顿州中部做准备。由鸟分枝杆菌引起的播散性分枝杆菌病一直是圈养成年侏儒兔最常见的死亡原因。在2002年6月至2004年9月期间，28只圈养成年侏儒兔被诊断患有分枝杆菌病（占圈养种群的29%），相比之下，同期有18只成年侏儒兔死于所有其他原因。对生前和死后的医疗记录进行回顾性评估，以描述侏儒兔分枝杆菌病的临床病程、体格检查结果以及侏儒兔分枝杆菌病诊断中的诊断测试结果。还评估了各种治疗方案、可能的死亡风险因素以及预防分枝杆菌病的建议。目前，细胞介导免疫功能受损似乎是侏儒兔分枝杆菌感染发病率和死亡率高的最佳解释。
