Variations of acute phase protein (haptoglobin, fibrinogen and ceruloplasmin) concentrations in weaning rabbits after experimental infection with E.coli.

The article discusses a study which evaluated the changes in the blood concentrations of haptoglobin (Hp), ceruloplasmin (Cp) and fibrinogen (Fb) in weaning rabbits with experimentally induced Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection. E. coli infections are reportedly a common cause of diarrhea in weaning rabbits. The study included 18 40-45 day-old rabbits that were weaned at four weeks. Blood samples from the rabbits were collected for acute phase proteins (APP) analysis. Study authors found that Hp concentrations increased after E. coli inoculation of 24 hours, while changes in Fb and Cp concentrations were found after three and seven days. They concluded that Hp can be useful in detecting bacterial infections in weaning rabbits.