Introduction

Active Forms

Clinical Effects

Epidemiology

Habitat

• Adult S. cuniculi on rabbits all year round.
• Breeds in rabbit burrows in late winter and early spring being dependent on the blood of breeding rabbits.

Transmission

• Dogs and cats that hunt rabbits acquire adult fleas.

Pathological effects

• Hypersensitivity to its antigens has been demonstrated experimentally but S. cuniculi does not normally seem to be involved in flea allergic dermatitis Skin: flea bite hypersensitivity in hypersensitive dogs.

• Crusts and papules in the sites where it feeds on the ears.

Other Host Effects

• A parasite of rabbits and dependant on rabbit blood.
• Maturation of male and female fleas specifically requires blood from pregnant rabbits or from very young nestlings (1-10 days old).
• Will feed on the dog and cat but will not breed.

Control

Control via animal

• Treat with insecticide to kill adult fleas Ctenocephalides felis.

Control via chemotherapies

• Drugs not specifically tested for S. cuniculi.

Control via environment

• None - Spilopsyllus cuniculi cannot breed in the environment of the dog/cat in the house but pet rabbits are at risk to infestation and infection with myxomatosis virus carried by the flea.
• Advise on source of fleas and use of adulticide chemical products to kill adult fleas.

Diagnosis

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Studdert V P & Arundel J H (1988) Dermatitis of the pinnae of cats in Australia associated with the European rabbit flea (Spilopsyllus cuniculi). Vet Record 123 (24), 624-625 PubMed.
• Rothschild M & Ford B (1966) Hormones of the vertebrate host controlling ovarian regression and copulation of the rabbit flea. Nature 211 (5046), 261-266 PubMed.