Clinicopathological studies on the effect of some bacterial infection in rabbits

Naturally infected White New Zealand rabbits (10) with Clostridiumperfringens type A and E.coli, besides 45 normal White New Zealand rabbitswere used to evaluate the hematological, biochemical and histopathologicalchanges in natural and experimental infection by Clostridium perfringenstype A and E.coli with special reference to its isolation and identification.Forty-five (1 month old) experimentally infected rabbits were dividedinto four groups. Gp.(1), 15 rabbits, was the control. Five rabbits of gp.(1)were sacrificed at the ages of 30,37 and 44 days. Gp.(2), 10 rabbits, wasorally inoculated with Clostridium perfringens type A 1.37ml cooked meatmedium (Ix l O’microorganism and its toxins/ml/Kgm body wt) in 5ml 10%sodium bicarbonate at the age of 30 day. Blood and serum samples and tissuespecimens were collected when the clinical signs appeared 6 hrs and oneweek PI. Gp.(3), 10 rabbits, was orally inoculated with E.coli, 5 mlcontaining 5X107 CFU/ml/Kgm body wt. at the age of 30 day. Sampleswere collected when the clinical signs appeared, one and two weeks PI.Gp.(4), 10 rabbits, was orally ’inoculated with E.coli 5 ml containing 5X107CFU/ml/ Kgm body wt and Clostridium perfringens type A 1.37ml cookedmeat medium containing the microorganism and its toxins in 5ml 10%sodium bicarbonate(1x109CFU/ml/Kgm body wt)at the age of 30 day.Samples were collected when the clinical signs appeared, 6hrs and one weekPI. The naturally infected animals gp.(5) were diarrheic and moribund.Whole blood( hematology ), serum sample (blood chemistry) and specimensfrom the intestine, liver and kidneys (histopathology and bacterialisolation)were collected.