Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy.
Vet Parasitol. 2013 Nov 8;197(3-4):682-4. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2013.05.014. Epub 2013 May 21.
Sylvilagus floridanus is a lagomorph introduced for hunting purposes from North America to Europe where, in certain areas like Northern Italy, its population reached high densities. Brain, kidney and skeletal muscle of 144 Eastern Cottontail Rabbits S. floridanus were examined by PCR for Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. DNA of E. cuniculi was found with a prevalence of 9.72% (CI 95% 0.058-0.156). T. gondii and N. caninum DNA was detected in 2.08% (CI 95% 0.0071-0.0595) and 2.78% (CI 95% 0.0109-0.0692) of the samples examined, respectively. This is the first report of E. cuniculi infection in a lagomorph species other than in its natural host Oryctolagus cuniculus, and this is also the first time N. caninum is found to naturally infect S. floridanus. E. cuniculi, T. gondii and N. caninum infect S. floridanus at low but relevant prevalences, considered the important role that these pathogens could play in both animal and human health.
佛罗里达兔是一种被引入欧洲用于狩猎的兔形目动物，在意大利北部等某些地区，其种群密度很高。对 144 只佛罗里达兔的大脑、肾脏和骨骼肌进行了聚合酶链反应检测，以检查有无脑胞虫、刚地弓形虫和新孢子虫。发现脑胞虫 DNA 的流行率为 9.72%（95%置信区间 0.058-0.156）。在检测的样本中，分别检测到刚地弓形虫和新孢子虫 DNA 的流行率为 2.08%（95%置信区间 0.0071-0.0595）和 2.78%（95%置信区间 0.0109-0.0692）。这是除其自然宿主兔形目兔属外，脑胞虫感染兔形目动物的首例报告，也是新孢子虫自然感染佛罗里达兔的首例报告。脑胞虫、刚地弓形虫和新孢子虫在佛罗里达兔中的感染率较低，但具有相关性，考虑到这些病原体在动物和人类健康中可能发挥的重要作用。
