Monitoring of wild birds for Newcastle disease virus in Switzerland using real time RT-PCR.
Wild birds are considered to be the natural reservoir of the Newcastle disease virus (NDV; avian paramyxovirus-1) causing New-castle disease, and are often suspected to be involved in outbreaks in domesticated birds. To assess the epidemiologic status of wild birds living, or overwintering, in Switzerland, 3,049 cloacal swabs covering the period 2003-2006 were screened for NDV, using real time RT-PCR. All samples were negative. This result seems in contrast with previously performed serologic screenings of wild birds.
Camenisch
Glauco
G
Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, National Reference Center for Poultry and Rabbit Diseases, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 270, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland. glauco.camenisch@gmail.com
Bandli
Risch
R
Hoop
Richard
R
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D001717:Birds; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009521:Newcastle Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009522:Newcastle disease virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance / Q000662:veterinary*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology