SEROPREVALENCE OF TURKEY RHINOTRACHEITIS IN GERMANY

The seroprevalence of turkey rhinotracheitis virus (TRTV) in North Ger many from 1980 to 1983 was estimated by testing a non-random sample of 499 turkey sera from 234 turkey flocks in the virus neutralization as say. The turkeys had been submitted to a diagnostic laboratory. Source of all data were the necropsy reports of the diagnostic investigation s and the corresponding results of serological testing for TRTV antibo dies. The clinical sign respiratory disease as well as the pathologica l findings conjunctivitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, air sacculitis and pne umonia were used in the analysis. The data analysis revealed highly si gnificant associations between TRTV seropositivity and respiratory dis ease as well as rhinitis and sinusitis. The results of this sample wit h unknown selection bias show that TRTV was present in turkey flocks i n North Germany at least since 1980 and that TRTV could have played an important role in the occurrence of respiratory disease.