Serologic survey of slaughter-age ostriches (Struthio camelus) for antibodies to selected avian pathogens

Serum samples from 163 slaughter-age ostriches (Struthio camelus) in Ohio a nd Indiana were tested for antibodies to avian influenza virus (AIV), Newca stle disease virus (NDV), paramyxovirus (PMV) 2, PMV3, PMV7, infectious bur sal disease virus (IBDV), Bordetella avium, Mycoplasma synoviae, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale, Salmonella pullorum, Salmo nella gallinarum, and Salmonella typhimurium. One ostrich had antibodies to AIV H5N9, 57% of the ostriches had antibodies to NDV, four ostriches had a ntibodies to both NDV and PMV2, and one ostrich had antibodies to NDV, PMV2 , PMV3, and PMV7. None of the ostriches had antibodies to IBDV, B. avium, M . synoviae, M. gallisepticum, O. rhinotracheale, S. pullorum, S. gallinarum , and S. typhimurium. This is the first report of antibodies to avian influenza and PMV7 in ostri ches in the United States.