Aeromonas hydrophila associated with a severe outbreak of infection in farmed rabbits.

An outbreak of infection with a high rate of mortality has been detected in an industrial rabbitry in Spain. Aeromonas hydrophila was isolated in pure culture from liver, lung, heart and spleen of ill and moribund animals. All the isolates belonged to O:11 serogroup, autogglutinated after boiling, were resistant to the bactericidal action of the fresh rabbit serum and did not agglutinate in acriflavine. They were producers of hemolysins and proteases but were not enterotoxigenic.