Emikpe_pp101-103.qxd Indigenous chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) are raised in many subsistence households in Africa and Asia (Spradbrow 1993). They serve as an important source of animal protein to the rural poor (Gueye 1998). Most of them are kept in free-range systems and scavenge for food. It is widely believed that they act as potential reservoirs for important poultry dis- eases (Bouzoubaa, Lemainguer & Bell 1992). Various investigations have been carried out on important poultry diseases affecting indigenous chickens in Africa: viral (Adene 1983; Mushi, Binta, Chabo, Hera, Thibanyene & Mkana 2001; Ohore, Ozegbe, Emikpe & Okojie 2003), mycoplasmal (Mushi, Binta, Chabo, Mathiao & Ndebele 1999), bacterial (Mdegela, Msoffe, Waihenya, Kasanya, Mkambo, Minga & Olsen 2002; Ohore, Ozegbe, Emikpe & Oluwayelu 2002) and parasitic infections (Magbool, Ahmed & Raza 1998) but there is a dearth of information on chicken infectious anaemia (Wicht & Maharaj 1998) especially in indigenous chickens. Chicken infectious anaemia (CIA) is a circoviral dis- ease of young chickens characterized by aplastic anaemia, generalized lymphoid atroply and subse- quent immunosuppression (Bulow & Schat 1997). It has been widely reported in major chicken-produc- ing countries (Yuasa, Taniguchi & Yoshida 1979; Bulow, Fuchs, Vielitz & Landgraf 1983; Rosenber- ger & Cloud 1989; McNulty, Connor, McNeilly, McLaughlin & Kirkpatrick 1990; Firth & Imai 1990; Zhou, Shen, Yang, Han, Wei, Xiao & Zhou 1997) and is associated with high morbidity and relatively low mortality (McNulty, Connor, McNeilly, Kirkpatrick & McFerran 1988) except with simultaneous infec- tions of Marek’s disease virus or infectious bursal disease virus (Yuasa, Taniguchi, Noguchi & Yoshida 1980). 101 Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 72:101–103 (2005) RESEARCH COMMUNICATION Serological evidence of chicken anaemia virus infection in Nigerian indigenous chickens B.O. EMIKPE*, D.O. OLUWAYELU, O.G. OHORE, O.A. OLADELE and A.T. OLADOKUN Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria ABSTRACT EMIKPE, B.O., OLUWAYELU, D.O., OHORE, O.G., OLADELE, O.A. & OLADOKUN, A.T. 2005. Sero- logical evidence of chicken anaemia virus infection in Nigerian indigenous chickens. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 72:101–103 Serum samples from 20 out of 180 (11.1 %) apparently healthy Nigerian indigenous chickens were negative for antibodies against chicken anaemia virus using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Of the 160 positive sera (88.9 %), 12 (7.5 %) had titres ranging from 1 500–3 000, 46 (28.8 %) had titres from 3 000–5 000 while 102 (63.8 %) had titres between 5 000–11 000. The over- all mean titre value was 5 845 ± 2 402. This appears to be evidence of a natural outbreak of the infec- tion since the chickens had no history of vaccination against any poultry disease. Keywords: Antibodies, chicken infectious anaemia, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay * Author to whom correspondence is to be directed. E-mail: banabis2001@yahoo.com Accepted for publication 19 January 2005—Editor A total of 180 apparently healthy Nigerian indige- nous chickens aged between 4 and 12 months from four communities—Apata, Odo-Ona, University of Ibadan and Yemetu—in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria were used. Ibadan, located in the southwest of Nigeria, has the highest commercial poultry activity in the country with indigenous birds transported in from the different geographic zones of the country. Many residents of the city keep small flocks of indig- enous chickens, mainly extensively, for domestic use. Blood samples were collected from 36 flocks, with one of five birds being randomly selected per household and bled via the jugular vein. Serum samples were dispensed in 0.5 ml aliquots in tubes and stored at –20 °C until used. Antibodies to chicken anaemia virus (CAV), if pres- ent, were detected and quantified using the enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay as described by McNulty et al. (1988) and Todd, Mackie, Mawhin- ney, Connor, McNeilly & McNulty (1990) using com- mercial kits (Kirkgaard & Perry Laboratory, USA). A universal microplate reader (Biotek Instrument Inc. Highland Park, United States of America) read the plates at 405 nm wavelength. According to the manufacturer, a titre of 1 500 and above was regarded as positive. A point prevalence of 88.9 % (160/180) was obtained in the chickens. In the four locations, the prevalence ranged from 80– 96 %. The mean titre values for positive reactors were 5 546.6 ± 2 541.4 for the university, 4 649.7 ± 1 880.3 for Yemetu, 6 948 ± 3 093 for Odo-Ona and 6 245.8 ± 2 093.5 for Apata communities, respec- tively, while the overall mean titre value was 5 845 ± 2 402. The mean titre distribution of positive sam- ples for CAV antibody revealed that 56.7% (102/180) had a titre of more than 5 000 while 25.5 % (46/180) had titres between 3 000 and 5 000 and 6.7 % had titres from 1 500–3 000. There are no routine vaccination programmes against CIA in commercial or indigenous chicken production systems in Nigeria. Recently, Owoade et al. (2004) reported the serologic detection of CIA in commercial poultry in Nigeria. The present study re- vealed a high prevalence of CAV infection in indig- enous chickens in Ibadan, Nigeria. A higher per- centage (63.8 %) of the chickens had titres greater than 5 000, which is quite remarkable and is an indi- cation of repeated exposure to the virus. The titres obtained in this study could only have been acquired from natural infection as the chickens had not been vaccinated against any disease. The minimum age of the birds was 4 months. Therefore, the presence of maternally-derived antibodies (MA) can be ruled out because in chickens these wane by 3–4 weeks of age (McNulty et al. 1988). This is the first report on the prevalence of antibodies to CAV in Nigerian indigenous chickens. 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