Serological Monitoring of Avian Pneumovirus in Lithuania

Abstract

Avian Pneumovirus is increasingly recognised as an important pathogen in many poultry producing countries. A total of 6 888 chicken sera collected from 2007 to 2008 on 21 farms were subjected to an enzyme – linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to test for antibodies against APV. Tests of blood sera show that from 66.99 % to 97.18 % of the tested samples contain antibodies against APV. In spite of the fact that broilers are not vaccinated against APV, part of bird blood sera was found positive. The immunity obtained by the breeder birds is of a different level. Avian Pneumovirus (APV) is increasingly recognised as an important pathogen in many poultry – producing countries. A new respiratory of poultry seems to have occurred first in turkeys (Buys, S.B. and du Preez, 1980) and later in chickens (Morley and Thomson, 1984) in South Africa. This disease was subsequently named Turkey Rhinotracheitis or TRT and has been seen also in Israel, France and Great Britain (Alexander, 1993). In 1985 TRT rapidly spread through the turkey industry in GB (Lister & Alexander, 1986) and at the same time a syndrome of broiler parent chickens characterised by respiratory sings and head swelling and neurological signs was described (O’Brien, 1985). The term Avian Rhinotracheitis (ART) has been applied to avian pneumovirus infection in turkeys and chickens. Serological evidence of APV is now available from many countries: United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Israel, Asia (Alexander D. J., 1997, Jones R. C., 1996, Cook, 2000). [...].