Colibacillosis
Colibacillosis, a common bacterial disease in young rabbits and other species, is
caused by the colonization of enteropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli (Figure 1) in
the small intestine and caecum. E. coli is usually present in the digestive tract of healthy
rabbits, and does not normally cause diarrhea. However, enteropathogenic strains can be
transferred from the doe to her kits through faecal contact. Proliferation of pathogenic E.
coli strains is triggered by factors such as concurrent diseases, stress, and low fibre diets.
For example, rabbits with clinical evidence of coccidiosis will frequently have a severalfold
increase in intestinal coliform (bacterial) counts.