Can E. cuniculi be transferred to humans?

The parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi is very common in rabbits. It can be passed to severely immunocompromised people. The majority of infected rabbits do not develop any symptoms but can infect other animals through their urine.

Unfortunately it is very difficult to treat E. cuniculi and it is almost impossible to prove that a previously infected rabbit is no longer contagious. One can de-worm the rabbits for ca 30 days to try to kill the parasite but this does not guarantee that the rabbit no longer can infect others.