{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T12:54:49Z","timestamp":1791204889932,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787097600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787097600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Medicine &amp;amp; Sci"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:italic>Encephalitozoon cuniculi<\/jats:italic>\n                      is an obligate intracellular parasite belonging to the phylum Microsporidia, family Encephalitozoonidae. The parasite is distributed worldwide and infects a variety of mammals, with rabbits being the main host. Currently, the most reliable diagnostic method is serological testing, but various molecular techniques are also being used.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      This study assesses the presence, genotypes and clinical signs of\n                      <jats:italic>E. cuniculi<\/jats:italic>\n                      infection in pet rabbits in Slovenia, using molecular and serological methods.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      From January 2022 to 2024, urine samples from random pet rabbits (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u00a0=\u00a0247) were collected for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to search for the presence of\n                      <jats:italic>E. cuniculi<\/jats:italic>\n                      genetic material or spores.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      With the real\u2010time PCR,\n                      <jats:italic>E. cuniculi<\/jats:italic>\n                      genetic material was detected in 37 of 247 (14.98%) rabbit urine samples. Serological testing revealed specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and\/or immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in 91 of 133 rabbits (68.42%). A quarter of the serologically positive rabbits (25.27%) and almost half of the molecularly positive rabbits (43.24%) were clinically healthy and showed no signs of encephalitozoonosis.\n                      <jats:italic>E. cuniculi<\/jats:italic>\n                      genetic material in urine was mostly discovered in rabbits with signs of urinary tract disorders (27.03%) or neurological clinical signs (21.62%). Genotype I of\n                      <jats:italic>E. cuniculi<\/jats:italic>\n                      was detected in all rabbits. Despite the detection of the pathogens\u2019 DNA, no\n                      <jats:italic>E. cuniculi<\/jats:italic>\n                      spores were observed by TEM.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:italic>E. cuniculi<\/jats:italic>\n                      infection is common among pet rabbits in Slovenia, with a high seroprevalence and detectable urinary shedding of parasite DNA. The presence of clinically healthy but infected rabbits indicates that subclinical infections are frequent. Genotype I appears to be the predominant genotype in the studied population. Combined molecular and serological testing may improve the detection and epidemiological characterization of\n                      <jats:italic>E. cuniculi<\/jats:italic>\n                      infections in rabbits.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/vms3.71081","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T15:17:55Z","timestamp":1787152675000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Clinical Molecular Investigation of\n                    <i>Encephalitozoon cuniculi<\/i>\n                    in Pet Rabbits: Early Detection of Potential Risk for Animal and Human Infection"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-9198-8736","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maru\u0161a","family":"\u0160krbec","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Poultry Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Ljubljana  Ljubljana Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brigita","family":"Slavec","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Poultry Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Ljubljana  Ljubljana Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nina","family":"Ko\u010dar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Poultry Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Ljubljana  Ljubljana Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katarina","family":"Modrijan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Poultry Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Ljubljana  Ljubljana Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ur\u0161ka","family":"Kuhar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology Department of Bacteriology and Mycology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Ljubljana  Ljubljana Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marko","family":"Kolenc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology and Immunology Laboratory for Syndromic Diagnostics and Molecular Bacteriology Faculty of Medicine University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alenka","family":"Dov\u010d","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Poultry Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Ljubljana  Ljubljana Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Olga Zorman","family":"Rojs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Poultry Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Ljubljana  Ljubljana Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jo\u017eko","family":"Ra\u010dnik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Poultry Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Ljubljana  Ljubljana Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_12_2_1","first-page":"561","article-title":"Encephalitozoon cuniculi Infection Among Immunocompromised and Immunocompetent Humans in Egypt","volume":"10","author":"Abu\u2010Akkada S. 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