Rabbit Research Fund
Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a microsporidian parasite that can infect all species. In rabbits, while infection can often be unknown, some patients have very severe clinical signs including head tilt, rolling, and blindness. This can be a very hard syndrome to treat and manage and not all rabbits will respond completely to medication. As some other diseases can result in similar clinical signs and since this infectious agent is so prevalent in rabbits, diagnosis through serological testing is difficult. Developing better blood tests has been a main focus of our clinical research program as well as to understand how the results may reflect the future health of the patient and perhaps better engineer treatment regimens. Biomarker development to assess the inflammatory process associated with infection is a second area of study.
The Division of Comparative Pathology launched the Avian & Wildlife Laboratory, an outreach veterinary reference laboratory service, in 1993. Recognized as the go-to lab for veterinarians in private practice and zoo/aquaria around the United States for routine and specialized bloodwork on a host of special species, the laboratory has gained international recognition for its expertise in biomarkers and testing options for inflammation and novel infectious disease testing. More than 180 presentations and 180 publications are a testimony to our devotion and impact to the field of avian, exotic, and wildlife medicine. See more at www.cpl.med.miami.edu