Subclinical proliferative enteropathy in sentinel rabbits associated with Lawsonia intracellularis.

Light microscopic and ultrastructural changes of naturally acquired proliferative enteropathy were observed in two of three young sentinel New Zealand White rabbits. The etiologic agent, Lawsonia intracellularis, was demonstrated in the tissues using morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular methods. Proliferative enteropathy was associated with infection of villous and crypt enterocytes by intracellular organisms genotypically and antigenically related to L. intracellularis of various other animal species.