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              Research
              
                            
              
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                              Seroprevalence of avian leukosis virus antigen 
                              using ELISA technique in exotic broilers and 
                              nigerian local chickens in Zaria, Nigeria - 
                              N. A. Sani, S. B. Oladele, M. A. Raji, D. G. 
                              Ibrahim
                              Vet World. 2011; 4(8): 345-348
               
              
              
              doi: 10.5455/vetworld.2011.345-348
              
              
               
              
              
              
   
 
              
               
               
               
              
              
              Abstract
              
                              
                              
                              In an attempt to determine the seroprevalence of 
                              avian leukosis virus (ALV) in exotic broiler 
                              chickens and Nigerian local chickens in Zaria, 
                              Nigeria, a total of 600 sera (300 from exotic 
                              broiler chickens and 300 from Nigerian local 
                              chickens), obtained from the live bird market in 
                              Zaria, Nigeria, were tested for ALV p27 antigen by 
                              the antigen capture - enzyme linked immunosorbent 
                              assay (ac-ELISA) technique. The age range of the 
                              Nigerian local chickens sampled in this study was 
                              6 – 24 months, while that of the exotic broiler 
                              chickens used in this study was 2-3 months. 
                              Fourteen out of the 300 sera obtained from the 
                              exotic broiler chickens tested positive to ALV p27 
                              antigen, which represents 4.70%, while 180 of the 
                              300 Nigerian local chicken sera were confirmed 
                              positive to the antigen, representing 60.00%. 
                              Thirteen (92.86%) of the fourteen sera from the 
                              exotic broiler chickens were lowly positive (ELISA 
                              Units range of 10-20%) to ALV p27 antigen, while 
                              only one (7.14%) serum sample was moderately 
                              positive to ALV p27 antigen with an ELISA Unit of 
                              29.33%. Of the 180 sera from the Nigerian local 
                              chickens that tested positive to ALV p27 antigen , 
                              79 (43.89%) were lowly positive with ELISA Units 
                              ranging from 10.67% to 21.33%, while 101 (56.11%) 
                              serum samples were moderately positive to ALV p27 
                              antigen with ELISA Units ranging from 28.0% to 
                              73.33%. A higher seroprevalence of ALV was 
                              detected in Nigerian local chickens than the 
                              exotic broiler chickens. 
              
                              
              Keywords: 
                              Seroprevalence, Avian leukosis virus, ELISA, Zaria.