Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Coccidiosis in European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus) populations in the Iberian Peninsula

  • Research Note
  • Published:
Acta Parasitologica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus is a keystone species from the Iberian Peninsula where viral diseases have played a prominent role in regulating their populations. Coccidiosis, a parasitic disease caused primarily by Eimeria spp., is also thought to have important negative effects. However, few studies have investigated the impact of coccidia on wild European rabbit populations on the Iberian Peninsula. Here we estimate coccidian prevalence in rabbit faecal samples collected along transects established in two ecological regions. Six Eimeria species, with different pathogenicity, were identified (E. coecicola, E. perforans, E media, E. magna, E. irresidua and E. flavescens). Species diversity varied significantly between regions although mean oocyst excretion levels were generally low in both areas (57.61 s.d.±78.07 and 17.03 s.d.±27.72, oocyst per gram of rabbit faeces). This study is the first to describe the composition of the Eimeria spp. assemblage for wild rabbit populations on the Iberian Peninsula and provides fundamental information for future studies on the potential interaction of viral and parasitic diseases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abrantes J., Lopes A.M., Dalton K.P., Melo P., Correia J.J., Ramada M., Alves P.C., Parra F., Esteves P.J. 2013. New variant of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, Portugal, 2012–2013. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 19, 1900–1902. DOI: 10.3201/eid1911.130908

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertolino S., Wauters L.A., De Bruyn L., Canestri-Trotti G. 2003. Prevalence of coccidia parasites (Protozoa) in red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris): effects of host phenotype and environmental factors. Oecologia, 137, 286–295. DOI: 10.1007/s00442-003-1345-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertó-Moran A., Pacios I., Serrano E., Moreno S., Rouco C. 2013. Coccidian and nematode infections influence prevalence of antibody to myxoma and rabbit hemorrhagic disease viruses in European rabbits. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 49, 10–17. DOI: 10.7589/2011-12-343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boag B., Hernandez A.D., Cattadori, I.M. 2013. Observations on the epidemiology and interactions between myxomatosis, coccidiosis and helminth parasites in a wild rabbit population in Scotland. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 59, 557–562. DOI: 10.1007/s10344-013-0704-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dalton K.P., Nicieza I., Abrantes J., Esteves P.J., Parra, F. 2014. Spread of new variant RHDV in domestic rabbits on the Iberian Peninsula. Veterinary Microbiology, 69, 67–73. DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.12.015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delibes-Mateos M., Ferreras P., Villafuerte, R. 2009. European rabbit population trends and associated factors: a review of the situation in the Iberian Peninsula. Mammal Review, 39, 124–140. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2907.2009.00140.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delibes-Mateos M., Ferreira C., Carro F., Escudero M.A., Gortázar C. In press. Ecosystem effects of variant rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, Iberian Peninsula. Emerging Infectious Diseases. DOI: 10.3201/eid2012.140517

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrand N. 2008. Inferring the evolutionary history of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from molecular markers. In: (Eds. P.C. Alves, N. Ferrand and K. Hackländer) Lagomorph biology: Evolution, ecology and conservation. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 47–63

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira C., Alves P.C. 2009. Influence of habitat management on the abundance and diet of wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus) populations in Mediterranean ecosystems. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 55, 487–496. DOI: 10.1007/s10344-009-0257-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foronda P., Figueruelo E., Ortego A., Abreu N., Casanova, J. 2005. Parasites (viruses, coccidia and helminths) of the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) introduced to Canary Islands from Iberian Peninsula. Acta Parasitologica, 50, 80–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, H.M., Whitlock, H.V. 1939. A new technique for counting nematode eggs in sheep faeces. Journal of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, 12, 50–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobbs R.P., Twigg L.E. 1998. Coccidia (Eimeria spp) of wild rabbits in southwestern Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal, 76, 209–210

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hobbs R.P., Twigg L.E., Elliot A.D., Wheeler A.G. 1999. Factors influencing the fecal egg and oocyst counts of parasites of wild European rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.) in Southern Western Australia. Journal of Parasitology, 85, 796–802

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jarvinen J.A. 1999. Prevalence of Eimeria macusaniensis (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) in midwestern Lama spp. Journal of Parasitology, 85, 373–376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lello J., Boag B., Hudson, P.J. 2005. The effect of single and concomitant pathogen infections on condition and fecundity of the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). International Journal of Parasitology, 35, 1509–1515. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2005.06.002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maldonado J., Pagés A., Alfonso M., Martínez E., Artigas C. 2004. Técnicas de aislamiento de Clostridium spiroforme a partir de casos de enteritis en conejos. In: XXIX Symposium de Cunicultura de ASESCU, 31 Mach - 1 April, 2004, Lugo, Spain, 85–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchandeau S., Aubineau J., Baudron P., Blanchet L., Chauvet C., Legros E., Merlet C., Suret, H. 1999. La pathologie de Lapin du garenne dans l’Ouest de la France. Bulletin Mensuel de l’Office National de la Chasse, 245, 10–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Oksanen J., Blanchet F.G., Kindt R., Legendre P., Minchin P.R., O’Hara R.B., Simpson G.L., Solymos P., Stevens M.H., Wagner, H. 2013. Vegan: Community Ecology Package. R package version 2.0-10. World wide web electronic publication. Available from: http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=vegan

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira U.C., Fraga J.S., Licois D., Pakandl M., Gruber, A. 2011. Development of molecular assays for the identification of the 11 Eimeria species of the domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Veterinary Parasitology, 176, 275–280. DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.10.054

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pakandl M. 2009. Coccidia of rabbit: a review. Folia Parasitologica, 56, 153–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pellerdy LP. (Ed.) 1974. Coccidia and Coccidiosis. Verlag Paul Parey, Berlim, Germany, 657 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • R Development Core Team 2012. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria

    Google Scholar 

  • RIPAC. 2004. Rede de Recolha e Identificação de Patologias em Animais Cinegéticos -Relatório Final 2004. Federação de Caçadores do Algarve e Direcção Regional de Agricultura do Algarve. World wide web electronic publication. Available from: http://www.fcalgarve.pt/rede.htm

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosell J.M., de la Fuente L.F., Badiola J.I., Fernández de Luco D., Casal J., Saco M. 2009. Study of urgent visits to commercial rabbit farms in Spain and Portugal during 1997–2007. World Rabbit Science, 17, 127–136. DOI: 10.4995/wrs.2009.652

    Google Scholar 

  • Stodart E. 1968. Coccidiosis in wild rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), at four sites in different climatic regions in eastern Australia I. Relationship with the age of the rabbit. Australian Journal of Zoology, 16, 69–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villafuerte R., Calvete C., Blanco J.C., Lucientes J. 1995. Incidence of viral hemorrhagic disease in wild rabbit populations in Spain. Mammalia, 59, 651–660. DOI: 10.1515/mamm.1995. 59.4.651

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi/Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil

    Sofia Marques Silva

  2. Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Vairão, Portugal

    Sofia Marques Silva, Catarina Ferreira, Joana Paupério & Paulo Célio Alves

  3. Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

    Catarina Ferreira

  4. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, Universidad Castilla La Mancha (IREC; CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain

    Catarina Ferreira

  5. Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal

    Rodolfo Miguel Silva & Armando Lemos

  6. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Paulo Célio Alves

  7. Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, USA

    Paulo Célio Alves

Authors
  1. Sofia Marques Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Catarina Ferreira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joana Paupério
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rodolfo Miguel Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Paulo Célio Alves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Armando Lemos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sofia Marques Silva.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Silva, S.M., Ferreira, C., Paupério, J. et al. Coccidiosis in European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus) populations in the Iberian Peninsula. Acta Parasit. 60, 350–355 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2015-0049

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2015-0049

Keywords

Search

Navigation