engleski

Zero prevalence of avian influenza in Yelkouan Shearwater, Puffinus yelkouan, in Lastovo archipelago, Croatia

The paper presents the first systematic study of avian influenza in tubenoses in Europe. Yelkouan Shearwaters were captured in colonies on Lastovo archipelago. Cloacal swabs were collected from all the birds (104) and sera samples were collected from adults only (80). The swabs were tested by virus isolation in chicken embryos and the sera were tested using commercial ELISA kit. During two breeding seasons, all of the samples were negative for the presence of avian influenza. We assume that one of the limiting factors for spreading of the virus among the birds is the relatively small population of these birds in Croatia. Further investigations, on both tubenoses and sea gulls, which could serve as a possible source of avian influenza infection, are needed to understand the ecology of avian influenza in tubenoses in the Adriatic.

Avian influenza; Procellariiformes; tubenoses; Puffinus yelkouan; Yelkouan Shearwater; Lastovo

nije evidentirano