The development of encephalitozoonosis in rabbits after infection by Encephalitozoon cuniculi and treatment with albendazole.

The influence of albendazole on the development of encephalitozoonosis indu ced experimentally by E. cuniculi in adult female rabbits of the New Zealan d white breed was studied with the aim of observing the development of clin ical symptoms of the disease in relation to serological prevalence. The animals were infected by E. cuniculi microsporidia with a single intrap eritoneal dose of 5 . 107 . ml(-1). Albendazole (Aldifal 2.5% susp. a.u.v.; Mevak, Slovakia) was administered by orogastric intubation in a dose of 5 mg. kg(-1) of body weight It was given twice a week for 11 weeks from day 7 after inoculation. The titre of antibodies was determined by the IFAT meth od (test of indirect immunofluorescence according to Chaloupsky et al. (197 1) on day 0 (before infecting the animals) and then on days 7 14, 21, 30, 4 5, 60, 90, and 120 of the experiment after infecting the animals. The detec ted low titre of specific serum antibodies corresponded with the course of the disease. From the middle of the experiment, conjunctivitis and lacrimat ion were recorded. Eye-symptoms were most probably induced by sporular infe ction from the environment.