Background Recently congenital infection with Schistosoma japonicum (S. Japonicum) has been domonstrated in pigs, rabbits, mice and dogs. We explored the rabbit as an animal model for the congenital infection of schistosomiasis japonica and assessed the effect of a congenital S. Japonicum infection on the resistance of rabbit kittens to a postnatal challenge infection.Methods Sixteen pregnant New Zealand white rabbits were infected with a single dose of S. Japonicum cercariae. The exposed animals were divided into three groups according to the gestation age at the time of infection. Diagnosis of prenatally acquired S. Japonicum infection in the rabbit kittens was primarily based on serological tests in combination with parasitological and histopathological findings. Congenitally infected kittens were challenged percutaneously with 100 S. Japonicum cercariae to assess the effect of a congenital S. Japonicum infection on kitten resistance to a postnatal challenge infection.Conclusions This study demonstrates the possibility of congenital infection of S. Japonicum in rabbits and the resistance of congenitally infected kittens to a postnatal challenge infection. These results have important implications not only for epidemiological investigations, but also in designing government control programs for schistosomiasis.