A SEROLOGICAL SURVEY OF CHICKENS, JAPANESE-QUAIL, PIGEONS, DUCKS AND CROWS FOR ANTIBODIES TO CHICKEN ANEMIA VIRUS (CAV) IN JAPAN

The chicken has been considered as the natural host for chicken anaemi a virus (CAV). To examine the prevalence of CAV in domestic and wild b irds in Japan, we analyzed serum samples collected from 211 chickens, 168 Japanese quail, 105 pigeons, 113 ducks and 116 crows for the prese nce of antibodies to CAV by a micro-scale virus neutralization (VN) te st. Nine of the 13 chicken flocks (69.2%) were found to be positive fo r VN antibodies to CAV. Of the 211 individual chicken serum samples, 1 27 (60.2%) were positive. VN antibodies were detected in 103 of the 16 8 (61.3%) quail samples with titres ranging from 1:20 to greater than or equal to 1:2560. Serum samples collected from quail in 1992 were fo und to possess a lower rate of antibody-positive sera (7.7%) and lower antibody titres (1:20 to 1:80) than those collected in 1995 (90.2% an d 1:20 to greater than or equal to 1:2560, respectively). None of the pigeon, duck and crow samples neutralized CAV at a 1:20 dilution. Thes e results indicate that quail might be one of the hosts of CAV or CAV- like virus in Japan. This is the first report of VN antibodies to CAV in a species other than chicken.