Hematologic effects of exposure to three infective agents in rabbits.

Infectious disease is typically accompanied by changes in the number and types of circulating leukocytes. To examine the effects of infectious challenge on the distribution of rabbit WBC, rabbits were inoculated IV with Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, or Candida albicans. Blood was collected prior to and every 6 to 12 hours after inoculation for 48 hours. Infectious challenge did not substantially alter total WBC counts, but did cause neutrophilia and lymphopenia for 6 to 48 hours after inoculation. Similar patterns of leukocyte distribution were observed in rabbits with naturally developing clinical problems. Thus, high total WBC counts may not be a common characteristic of acute infectious conditions in rabbits, but differential distributions of various leukocyte populations can provide useful markers of disease in this species.