TISSUE DAMAGE IN THE INTESTINE OF RABBIT INFECTED WITH A NEMATODE

The hare Lepus capensis is small mammal of order Lagomorpha and family Leporidae. They have a very large digestive system adapted to digesting large amounts of plant material. They have giant caecum, ten times larger than stomach. These are commonly kept as pets and also used as food. These are found in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. Relatively little information is available on helminth parasites of these animals specially on tissue damage due to parasitic infection. Here an oxyurid nematode Syphacia caudibandata Ghazi et al. , 2005 has been identified and tissue damage in the intestine of Lepus capensis is described. Severe intestinal tissue destruction was observed with atrophy and fusion of villi, fatty degeneration in the muscularis mucosa and thickenning of blood vessels walls as well as shrinkage and separation of muscular layers. Some helminth parasites of rabbit also have public health importance and can infect humans. This information is an addition to scientific literature and useful for students, teachers and researchers in the field of parasitology, animal pathology as well as to animal breeders.