Microbiological and Serological Studies of some Poultry Pathogens in Wild Birds in Sudan

Abstract

Microbiological and Serological surveillance of 24 different species of wild water birds living around water sewage plants and fresh wetland water area in Khartoum state (Sudan) were carried out in the period from September 2011 to March 2012 during ringing operation. The presence of selected avian diseases including Newcastle disease (ND), avian influenza (AI), Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) and Avian encephalomyelitis (AE) in addition to some selected bacteria were studied. A total of 369 different samples (42 sera, 76 tracheal swabs, 77 cloaecal swabs and 174 organs) were examined. Newcastle disease virus was isolated from 3 bird species in water sewage plants while Newcastle disease virus antibodies were detected in the sera of 4 bird species in the same area. E coli, Staph.aureus, enterococcus spp and bacillus cereus were isolated from different species of birds from wetland area . In conclusion the results obtained suggest that wild birds might play an important role in the epidemiology of the circulating ND outbreaks in poultry flocks in the country . No evidence that wild birds in the study areas are infected with AI, IBD or AE. We concluded that wild birds harbour some pathogenic organisms which are capable to produce different disease conditions in both human and animals.

Keywords: poultry pathogens , Water bird , wetland, sewage station ; Sudan.