Sexual dimorphism is a well-documented phenomenon observed at all levels of the animal kingdom, with the inclusion of both sexes in clinical trials and basic research becoming mandatory. Regarding parasitosis, in several animal species, the signs and virulence of the disease may change depending on the sex of the affected animal. In the cestodiasis caused by Taenia solium and Taenia crassiceps, females are more susceptible to experimental infection than males. Cysticercosis by Taenia pisiformis in rabbits has acquired relevance due to its economic impact, namely affecting welfare and production. In America, specifically in Mexico, there are no formal reports on the infection with T. pisiformis metacestodes in populations of wild rabbits, despite being the country with more endemic species (about 15 species), among them, the volcanoes rabbits or the endangered teporingo (Romerolagus diazi). In this study, 31 wild rabbits were obtained by hunters of some regions of Morelos state during several hunting seasons, and sex, physiological stage, and number of metacestodes were recorded. A high frequency of infection by T. pisiformis metacestodes (67.7%) was found. Also, a higher susceptibility to this infection was observed in does (80% infected) compared to bucks (40%), finding 84.2% of metacestodes (235 metacestodes) in does and 15.8% of metacestodes (44 metacestodes) in bucks. The percentage of infection was higher in lactating compared with pregnant and non-pregnant does, with metacestodes lodging mainly in the uterus. Increasing our knowledge regarding parasitic infections can help us better understand transmission circles as well as the parasite-host interaction of these increasingly at risk rabbit species.

Taenia pisiformis infection causes important economic loss in farms. It is suggested that obesity has a major impact on infection and reproduction. We addressed the impact of T. pisiformis infection in normal and obese rabbits to evaluate its effect on parameters important in behavior and reproduction. T. pisiformis infection in obese rabbits decreased body weight. In the obese-infected rabbits, eosinophils and heterophiles were increased 23% by the infection (P ≤ 0.05). T. pisiformis decreased cholesterol by 13% in normal weight infected rabbits and 10% in obese group (P ≤ 0.05), while triglyceride and VLDL were increased by 23% and 45% in the non-infected obese group (P ≤ 0.05). The infection increased serum cortisol levels only in normal weight rabbits (P ≤ 0.05). Liver weight was 20% higher in obese and obese-infected rabbits (P ≤ 0.05). Testicular weight in obese-infected was 46% higher than normal weight (P ≤ 0.0001) and 20% more than the obese-non-infected (P ≤ 0.0001). Furthermore, the infection reduced the weight of submandibular glands in infected and obese-infected rabbits (P ≤ 0.05), body fat increased 10% in the obese-infected than in the obese, and infected group was 35% over the normal weight non-infected (P ≤ 0.01). Our results show that T. pisiformis alters metabolic characteristics in rabbits, which can impact on the production and welfare of animals.

No abstract

No abstract