Vet Sci. 2018 Jan 20;5(1). pii: E11. doi: 10.3390/vetsci5010011.
Author information
- 1
- Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of the West Indies (St. Augustine), Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope, Trinidad and Tobago. arianne.brown@my.uwi.edu.
- 2
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis. pbolfa@rossvet.edu.kn.
- 3
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis. smarchi@rossvet.edu.kn.
- 4
- School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of the West Indies (St. Augustine), Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope, Trinidad and Tobago. shakera.hemmings@my.uwi.edu.
- 5
- School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of the West Indies (St. Augustine), Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope, Trinidad and Tobago. tashard.major@my.uwi.edu.
- 6
- Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of the West Indies (St. Augustine), Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope, Trinidad and Tobago. Rod.Suepaul@sta.uwi.edu.
- 7
- Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of the West Indies (St. Augustine), Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope, Trinidad and Tobago. Lemar.Blake@sta.uwi.edu.
- 8
- Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of the West Indies (St. Augustine), Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope, Trinidad and Tobago. chris.oura@sta.uwi.edu.
Abstract
Backyard poultry farms in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) play a vital role in providing food and income for rural communities. There is currently no information on the presence and circulation of pathogens in backyard poultry farms in T&T, and little is known in relation to the potential risks of spread of these pathogens to the commercial poultry sector. In order to address this, serum samples were collected from 41 chickens on five backyard farms taken from selected locations in Trinidad. Samples were tested for antibodies to seven prioritypathogens of poultry by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibodies were detected in 65% (CI 95%: 50-78%) of the sampled birds for Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), 67.5% (CI 95%: 52-80%) for Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), 10% (CI 95%: 4-23%) for Newcastle disease virus (NDV), 0% (CI 95%: 0-0%) for Avian influenza virus (AIV), 0% (CI 95%: 0-0%) for West Nile virus (WNV), 31.7% (CI 95%: 20-47%) for Mycoplasm gallisepticum/synoviae and 0% (CI 95%: 0-0%) for Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis. These results reveal the presence and circulation of important pathogens of poultry in selected backyard farms in Trinidad. The results provide important information which should be taken into consideration when assessing the risks of pathogen transmission between commercial and backyardpoultry farms, as well as between poultry and wild birds.
KEYWORDS:
Avian influenza; Mycoplasma gallisepticum; Mycoplasma synoviae; Newcastle disease virus; Salmonella enteritidis; Trinidad and Tobago; West Nile virus; chickens; infectious bronchitis virus; infectious bursal disease virus
