Spontane enzootische aviäre Tuberkulose bei Hauskaninchen (Oryctolagus cuniculus f. dom.)

On a small farm approximately 30 rabbits were kept together with some chickens, ducks and doves. The meat rabbits were in a poor body condition and suffered from lameness due to swollen joints. At necropsy, nodular and partially fibrino-necrotic inflammatory lesions were seen in the joints, intestines, regional lymph nodes, kidneys and lungs. Areas of granulomatous to necrotizing inflammation with intralesional acid-fast rod-shaped bacteria were found histologically. Mycobacterium avium ssp. avium was identified using bacterial cultrue and molecular techniques. The chicken kept on the farm showed alterations similar to those of the rabbits. Epidemiologically, the mycobacteria were most likely transmitted from the fowl to the rabbits via infected faeces. Mycobacteriosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in infectious diseases of rabbits with swollen joints and poor body condition.