| dc.description.abstract | A cross sectional study was used to obtain data from sixty one (61) randomly selected rabbit farms in Nairobi, Central, Eastern and Rift valley regions of Kenya in order to characterize production systems and determine the etiology and predisposing factors of diseases that affect rabbit production. Observational assessments and questionnaire interviews were used to determine factors of diseases in the study areas. A total of 2,680 live rabbits, 320 swabs, 363 fecal samples, 120 blood smears and 21skin scrapings were collected from randomly selected rabbits and examined for etiological agents of disease. In addition, 61 live rabbits were transported to the laboratory for further investigations such as blood smear examination, necropsy, Bacteriology, Mycology and Parasitology.
Results showed that rabbit production system in the study areas is small scale commercial. Cross breeds (83.61%) were the frequently kept rabbit breeds, while grass, kale and cabbage were the common forages used to feed these rabbits in 85.25% farms. Housing systems comprising of indoor and outdoor systems were significantly different within and between the counties (P<0.01). The majority (42.62%) of the rabbit farms had good sanitation, while 8/61 (13.11%) and 6/61 (9.825%) farms had poor and very poor sanitation scores respectively.
The profile of diseases of rabbits recorded were mainly those of digestive system 40/61 (65.57%). Diseases affecting the cutaneous system were as frequent as those affecting the eyes and ears with a prevalence of 27.87% each.
Enteritis (29.51%) and hepatic coccidiosis (11.48%) were the frequently encountered digestive conditions during post mortem examination, while the prevalence of mange and ear canker were 27.87% and 16.39% respectively. The etiological agents identified as the causes of digestive
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conditions were; intestinal coccidia (90.16%), hepatic coccidia (11.48%) and Passalurus ambiguus (3.28%). Sarcoptes scabie and Psoroptes cuniculi were identified from rabbits with mange and Ear canker respectively. Mixed infection of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aerogenosa, Proteus mirabilis and Streptococcus species were identified from abscess swabs, while Pasteurella multocida, Pseudomonas aeroginosa and S. aureus were identified as the major etiological agents of pneumonia (14.75%). The frequently identified bacteria from conjuctival (95.83%) and nasopharyngeal (91.67%) swabs were non-pathogenic Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli and S. aureus. Microsporum canis was identified as the cause of dermatophytosis (3.28%). Isolation of zoonotic etiological agents (S. aureus, P. aerogenosa, and Streptococcus species) of rabbit diseases confirms the zoonotic health significance of some of the rabbit diseases identified in this study. This study could not reveal specific causes of conditions such as emaciation (14.75%), Sore hock (3.28%), splay leg (1.64%) and cannibalism (1.64%).
From the study it was concluded that diseases of domestic rabbits in Kenya are similer for all the regions except for pneumonia which were frequently encountered in Kiambu and Meru counties (P = 0.0183). High numbers of coccidia oocysts were frequently recovered from weaners (P < 0.001) and rabbits kept in crowded housing (P = 0.0293) while, poorly maintained old hutches was a risk factor to ear canker (P = 0.0046). Cold climate also predispose rabbits to pneumonia (P = 0.0183). Presence of potential pathogens including coccidia and bacteria are also risk factors to diseases. The researcher recommends dissemination of the findings of this study to both animal health service providers and rabbit keepers and further studies on the epidemiology and suitable practices for the management and control of major diseases of domestic rabbits identified in this study | en_US |
| dc.description.department | a
Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, ; bDepartment of Mental Health, School of Medicine,
Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya | |
