22nd August, 2006
We understand from press reports that a young farmer from Suffolk has tragically died from Pasteurella multocida septicaemia, possibly contracted from handling dead wild rabbits.
The RWA has had many enquiries from journalists seeking information about Pasteurella in rabbits. We hope these FAQs will assist both journalists and members of the public understand more about Pasteurella.
What is Pasteurella multocida?
Pasteurella multocida (we’ll refer to it simply as Pasteurella from now on) is a bacterial species. It is commonly found in many animals - domestic and wild - including cats, dogs, poultry, rabbits, rodents, cattle and pigs.
Pasteurella can be both a commensal (= normal part of the animals’ bacterial flora) or a pathogen (= cause of disease).
What does Pasteurella multocida do to rabbits?
Pasteurella is thought to live in the throats and nasal passages of some rabbits without causing any signs of disease. However, rabbits can develop health problems caused by Pasteurella, especially if they are unwell or stressed:
• ‘Snuffles’ is the most common health problem in rabbits affected by Pasteurella. Rabbits with snuffles suffer from a nasal discharge and sneezing. Pasteurella isn’t the only cause of snuffles, but it is the one most people have heard of.
• Pneumonia can complicate snuffles in rabbits
• Some runny eyes in rabbits are due to Pasteurella, but there are many other causes too – including dental disease.
• Abscesses in rabbits are often caused by Pasteurella
What is septicaemia?
Septicaemia is a descriptive term which literally means “infection of the blood” – blood poisoning. Our understanding from the media reports is that the young farmer in Suffolk developed overwhelming infection (“sepsis”) and died despite aggressive treatment with antibiotics and circulatory support.
Human deaths from Pasteurella are extremely rare. According to the Health Protection Agency, only 4 fatalities were recorded between 1993 and 2005.
The recent fatality in Suffolk is particularly unusual in that the victim was reportedly a fit and well 29 year old. However, fit young adults do occasionally die from septicaemia - even in today’s antibiotic era. Deaths from septicaemia were much more common prior to the 1940s when antibiotics were discovered.
For more information on the effects of sepsis and the human body, visit http://www.survivingsepsis.org/
For more information on the epidemiology of Pasteurellosis in humans in the UK, see the Health Protection Agency (HPA) website.
What is rabbit flu?
Some media reports have referred to Pasteurella-caused snuffles as “rabbit flu”. This is incorrect - rabbits don’t get flu. Also, influenza is caused by viruses, whereas Pasteurella is a bacterium.
So – great headline, but totally inaccurate!
How did this young farmer catch Pasteurella?
Again, as we don’t have any details of this death except reported by the media, we can only speculate. Apparently the victim had a blister on his hand, and then went out culling wild rabbits on his farm. If the blister had popped, it is easy to see that the broken skin at the base of the blister could have come into contact with the blood or nasal secretions of dead wild rabbits as they were collected.
However, without forensic-like nucleic acid techniques to match the exact genetic strain of Pasteurella multocida in the human victim with the wild rabbits he handled, it cannot be certain that he even contracted the infection from the dead wild rabbits.
The HPA website makes quite clear that in many cases, humans with Pasteurella infection have had no contact with animals at all.
I’ve got a pet rabbit – am I at risk of catching Pasteurella septicaemia?
For fit and healthy people, the risk of catching Pasteurella from a pet rabbit (and then going on to develop septicaemia) is so small you may as well forget about it…. You are probably more likely to die from tripping over the rabbit!
Obviously, it’s always sensible to take some simple hygienic precautions when handling pets and other animals.
• Wash your hands with soap and water after handling animals
• Cover any broken skin before handling pets.
It wouldn’t be advisable to allow human bodily secretions (e.g. blood, pus and nasal discharge) onto broken skin and if nursing sick animals (or, handling meat or game) the same caution is advisable for animal bodily secretions.
With respect to the recent death in Suffolk, it is important to try to put that death in context. One young man has tragically died from in infection that may (or, may not) have come from dead wild rabbits he presumably handled. As far as we can ascertain, this is the first fatality from Pasteurella septicaemia where contact with rabbits has been implicated. Humans and rabbits have lived in close proximity for hundreds of years; humans have eaten wild rabbits for thousands of years. If contact with rabbits constituted a significant health risk we would have noticed by now. It is very likely that this death is a tragic extreme rarity.
Dramatic deaths from overwhelming infection in fit young people is now (since the advent of the antibiotic era) so rare, such deaths inevitably attract a great deal of attention. It is very sad that very few of the dozen or so deaths on the roads of Britain each day, get such media attention. And yet we don’t stop getting into our cars. Modern society has a very strange attitude to the risks of life and death.
People with severe immunosuppression (e.g. some patients having chemotherapy; on high dose steroids; or with immunosuppressant illnesses like AIDS) do need to be more careful around animals, as well as people. Immunocompromised humans and ailing pets (including rabbits suffering from Pasteurella related problems) can be a hazardous combination, and people with severely depressed immune systems should consider liaising with both their vet and hospital specialist for advice on safe pet keeping. For more information about potential zoonoses, see:
Is it possible to catch Pasteurella from a rabbit bite or scratch?
Yes, it’s possible - but it is very rare…. cat bites are far more of a problem. In fact, it’s quite unusual for rabbit bites and scratches to get infected at all.
However, it is always sensible to clean any bite/scratch thoroughly (soap and water is fine) as soon as possible; to cover any breaks in the skin before handling animals or meat; and to seek medical advice promptly if any signs of infection (e.g. redness spreading out from the wound) develop. It’s also worth checking you are fully immunised against tetanus. Again, for more information see our section on Pet rabbits and Your Health
How can I prevent my pet rabbit from developing problems from Pasteurella?
The best way to protect your bunny from snuffles and other Pasteurella related problems is to keep him very fit and healthy, in spacious accommodation with plenty of exercise; a suitable diet (grass/hay based) and regular health checks (easiest to do when you take your rabbit to the vet for his annual vaccinations).
If you keep more than one bunny (and you should have at least two together – they’re social animals) make sure they are all neutered to minimise fighting, which will in turn reduce the risk of abscesses arising from bite wounds. This applies even to same-sex pairs.
There’s lots of information on keeping your pet rabbits happy and healthy in the Information section of the Rabbit Welfare Fund website.
There are two certainties in both human and veterinary medicine: there's no such word as "never", and advice changes as information becomes available. We have brought you the most up to date information we could find, but cannot accept responsibility for any harm that may result if we turn out to be wrong. However, we're only saying this because we would be daft not to..... we don't want to be sued in twenty years time if someone catches a disease from a rabbit that we don't even know exists at the time of writing! We share our homes with our rabbits just like you do, and as we said at the start.... don't lose any sleep! Being realistic…. contact with our fellow humans is far, far more hazardous than bunnies will ever be!
This FAQ was written by Dr Linda Dykes in August 2006. © Dr Linda Dykes 2006
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