Gut colonization by a novel Clostridium species is associated with the onset of epizootic rabbit enteropathy

Abstract

Epizootic rabbit enteropathy (ERE) represents one of the most devastating diseases affecting rabbit farms. Previous studies showing transmissibility of disease symptoms through oral inoculation of intestinal contents from sick animals suggested a bacterial infectious origin for ERE. However, no etiological agent has been identified yet. On the other hand, ERE is associated with major changes in intestinal microbial communities, pinpointing dysbiosis as an alternative cause for the disease. To better understand the role of intestinal bacteria in ERE development, we have performed a prospective longitudinal study in which intestinal samples collected from the same animals before, during and after disease onset were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. Changes in hundreds of bacterial groups were detected after the initiation of ERE. In contrast, before ERE onset, the microbiota from rabbits that developed ERE did not differ from those that remained healthy. Notably, an expansion of a single novel Clostridium species (Clostridium cuniculi) was detected the day of ERE onset. C. cuniculi encodes several putative toxins and it is phylogenetically related to the two well-characterized pathogens C. botulinum and C. perfringens. Our results are consistent with a bacterial infectious origin of ERE and discard dysbiosis as the initial trigger of the disease. Although experimental validation is required, results derived from sequencing analysis, propose a key role of C. cuniculi in ERE initiation.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13567-018-0617-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Rabbit Enteropathies on Commercial Farms in the Iberian Peninsula: Etiological Agents Identified in 2018–2019

“…Recent microbiota characterization studies using molecular approaches and modern sequencing techniques indicate that ERE could be caused by diet alterations or stress given by a wrong driving into the farm [30,33]. Additionally, ERE has been related to the proliferation of a new Clostridium species, Clostridium cuniculi [34], although this relation has not been experimentally validated yet. We cannot exclude that many of the cases studied in growing rabbits are related to this severe disease, but we cannot confirm those cases as ERE either.…”

Faecal microbiota and functional capacity associated with weaning weight in meat rabbits

“…On the other hand, Bauerl, et al () suggested that a decrease in the abundance of Ruminococcus and Alistipes in the gut microbiota of post‐weaning rabbits was related to the development of Epizootic rabbit enteropathy (ERE), one of the most devastating diseases affecting rabbit farms. Conversely, Djukovic, et al () indicated that the disease developed due to an increase in the abundance of Clostridium cuniculi .…”

Nectarivorous Bird Emphysematous Ingluvitis (NBEI): A Novel Disease in Loriinae Birds Associated With Clostridium perfringens Infection

“…This may suggest that poor quality or foul nectar may pre-dispose overgrowth of C. perfringens, as occurs in rabbits with epizootic rabbit enteropathy in which dysbiosis (imbalance of natural gut flora) and Clostridium spp. overgrowth have been proposed as associated risk factors (36).…”