Clinicopathological studies on experimentally infected rabbits

Abstract EN

Forty-eight pathogen free New Zealand rabbits were divided into two groups, the First group contained eighteen rabbits served as normal control and the second group of thirty rabbits was received 1 ml bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) virus suspension (107 TCID 50) by intraperitoneal route.

Rabbits both groups were subjected to hematological, serum biochemical, different serological and histopathologically examination 3, 7, 10, 14, 21 and 28 days post infection.

Clinical observation of infected rabbits showed febrile response and mild conjunctivitis after 24 and 48h.

Of inoculation, respectively.

The hologram revealed no significant alteration in the erythrogram while leucogram showed leukocytosis accompanied with heterophilia, lymphopenia and monocytopenia at the 3rd and 7th days post infection.

Serum biochemical analysis showed significant elevation in the activity of AST, ALT and AP and in blood urea nitrogen and cretonne concentration along the experimental period.

Serum total proteins, albumin, and < globulin significantly increased at different periods of the experiment.

BHV-1 antibodies were detected in the sera of infected rabbits by Dot ELISA and ELISA from the first week until the fourth week post infection.

Histopathologically examination revealed that the most affected organs were the trachea, lungs and liver while adrenals, kidneys, and spleen showed mild pathological alteration.