Can rabbits get cyclospora?

[LBJ10]

There is a Cyclospora outbreak. Officials have not been able to pinpoint the source and all produce is suspect. They say to use caution with fresh fruits and veggies. You have to scrub anything we want to eat raw with a brush. Problem is, how the heck do you scrub lettuce? You can’t very well. Can rabbits get sick from this? I’m afraid to buy my rabbits any more lettuce for awhile.

[LBJ10]

Okay, searching around a little bit. Not coming up with much. It is a form of Coccidia, I know that.

There is just one study that keeps popping up that says:

Cyclosporiasis was associated with ownership of domestic animals, especially birds, guinea pigs, and rabbits.

This is a study in some tropical region. Perhaps animals can carry it, but not exhibit symptoms. Then people get it when animals are pooping out the spores and they come into contact with it?
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[Stickerbunny]

I am not sure. Is there a way you could get lettuce from uncontaminated sources (like, imported bagged / plastic container lettuce)? Is there a veggie wash that works against it, for softer fruits/veggies you can’t scrub?

[LBJ10]

They don’t know the source. I remember when there was a recall on bagged spinach that was “prewashed”, yet it was contaminated with E. coli. Are there safe veggie washes?

[Deleted User]

I know (because I do it) you can wash strawberries in a sink full of coolwater and asmall amount (teaspoon maybe) of dish washing detergent. (This is the bottle of liquid for hand washing dishes, not the stuff for a dish washing machine.) If you swish them in it, then rinse thoroughly (I do two more sinks full of water, but for lettuce I’d probably hold whole leaves under running water) and they come lovely and clean with perfect berry flavour and not a trace of soap taste! I don’t know if it kills absolutely every form of bacteria, but it must do as much (probably more) then scrubbing, and as long as it is completely washed off I don’t see how it would hurt the rabbits. I’d taste test a leaf to be sure its all gone.

[Deleted User]

I fill my sink up with cold water and pour a ton of vinegar in it before putting my lettuce, kale, arugula, and what not into it. I let the veggies soak for 10 to 15 minutes. After letting the veggies soak I rinse them off and give them to the buns. It’s supposed to help kill bacteria and pesticides on the lettuce. I’m overly cautious and paranoid of the buns getting sick so that’s why I wash my veggies this way.

I know vinegars kills a lot of bad bacteria so putting the veggies in a vinegar/water wash should be okay.

[LBJ10]

They are protozoa, not bacteria. The vinegar might work though.

[Stickerbunny]

My go to cleaners are GSE or vinegar, but I am unsure if either kills this specific problem… could look it up though. GSE is safe as long as it is rinsed off well (want to rinse well because while it is non-toxic, it will destroy bacteria and such, even the good gut flora they need). And vinegar is safe as we know, though they’d appreciate if it is rinsed really well too.

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