Serological survey of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in farm rabbits in Italy

Rabbit sera (n=1600) from 40 commercial farms were submitted to a serological screening for Encephalitozoon cuniculi by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a carbon immunoassay (CIA test). Antibodies anti-Encephalitozoon cuniculi were found in 505/1600 (31.6%) sera analysed, and all the farms (100%) resulted positive. Rabbits older than 4 months showed a significantly higher seropositivity for E. cuniculi (chi-squared test: p<0.0001) than rabbits under 4 months, E. cuniculi sero-prevalence showed an increasing trend in rabbits within the farm along with the increase in the "number of rabbits on the farm"; however, this trend was not significant (Spearman's correlation: p=0.073). The findings of the present study confirm that rabbit is the main reservoir of E. cuniculi; they are of epidemiological relevance and immediate public health importance because of the recognized infectivity in humans by the microsporidium.