Mycobacteriosis has been rarely described in pet rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Here we present two cases of intestinal mycobacteriosis from north-eastern Germany. The first adult rabbit was euthanized due to severe cardiovascular failure, hypothermia and chronic weight loss. Necropsy revealed cachexia and a focal, fibrinonecrotic lesion in the caecum. Histologically, severe granulomatous inflammation, with numerous multinucleated giant cells and abundant acid-fast bacilli, was detected under the fibrinonecrotic material in the abdominal wall adjacent to the caecal lesion, caecal lymph nodes, spleen, liver and lungs. Microbiological culture detected Mycobacterium avium subspecies hominissuis, Escherichia coli, Clostridium disporicum and Bacteroides ovatus. A retrospective assessment of 2,013 other pet rabbit necropsies, performed between 1995 and 2019, revealed one additional case of intestinal mycobacteriosis. This animal had been euthanized due to persistent hindlimb lameness and necropsy revealed comminuted fractures of the pelvic bones and multiple large liquefied abscess-like lesions in the caecal and colonic walls. Histology revealed granulomatous inflammation with acid-fast bacilli. Polymerase chain reaction on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue identified the presence of M. avium spp. In contrast to European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from Scotland, these findings indicate that intestinal mycobacteriosis is rare in pet rabbits from north-eastern Germany. Zoonotic potential should be considered due to the close contact between pets and their owners and the chronic course of the disease with an initial lack of clinical signs.

很少在宠物兔 ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) 中描述分枝杆菌病。在这里，我们介绍了来自德国东北部的两例肠道分枝杆菌病。由于严重的心血管衰竭、体温过低和慢性体重减轻，第一只成年兔被安乐死。尸检显示恶病质和盲肠中的局灶性纤维蛋白坏死病变。组织学上，在邻近盲肠病变、盲肠淋巴结、脾、肝和肺的腹壁中的纤维蛋白坏死物质下检测到严重的肉芽肿性炎症，具有许多多核巨细胞和丰富的抗酸杆菌。微生物培养检测鸟分枝杆菌亚种人型、大肠杆菌、梭状芽孢杆菌和卵形拟杆菌。对 1995 年至 2019 年间进行的 2,013 次其他宠物兔尸体剖检的回顾性评估揭示了另外一例肠道分枝杆菌病。这只动物由于持续的后肢跛行而被安乐死，尸检显示骨盆骨粉碎性骨折，盲肠和结肠壁有多个大的液化脓肿样病变。组织学显示肉芽肿性炎症与抗酸杆菌。福尔马林固定、石蜡包埋的组织上的聚合酶链反应鉴定了鸟分枝杆菌的存在。与欧洲野兔 ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) 来自苏格兰，这些发现表明，在德国东北部的宠物兔中，肠道分枝杆菌病很少见。由于宠物与其主人之间的密切接触以及最初缺乏临床症状的慢性病程，应考虑人畜共患病的可能性。