A serological survey of chickens, Japanese quail, pigeons, ducks and crowsfor antibodies to chicken anaemia virus (CAV) in Japan

The chicken has been considered as the natural host for chicken anaemia vir us (CAV). To examine the prevalence of CAV in domestic and wild birds in Ja pan, the authors analyzed serum samples collected hem 211 chickens, 168 Jap anese quail, 105 pigeons, 113 ducks and 116 crows for the presence of antib odies to CAV by a micro-scale virus neutralization (VN) test. Nine of the 1 3 chicken Rocks (69.2%) were found to he positive for VN antibodies to CAV. Of the 211 Individual chicken serum samples, 127 (60.2%) were positive. VN antibodies were detected in 103 of the 168 (61.3%) quail samples with titr es ranging from 1:20 to greater than or equal to 1:2560, Serum samples coll ected from quail in 1992 were found to possess a lower rate of antibody-pos itive sera (7.7%) and lower antibody titres (1:20 to 1:80) than these colle cted in 1995 (90.2% and 1:20 to greater than or equal to 1:2560, respective ly). None of the pigeon duck and cro cv samples neutralized CAV at a 1:20 d ilution These results indicate that quail might he one of the hosts of CAV or CAV-like virus.