THE PREVALENCE OF AVIAN CHLAMYDIOSIS (Chlamydophila psittaci) IN BOSNIA AND HEZEGOVINA

In the article are presented the results of our research on chlamydophilosis in parrots, free-living and breeding pigeons, and intensive breeding chickens in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For detection of the antigen two immunoenzyme tests for the detection of antibodies against Chlamydophila psittaci and a complement fixation test by a Kolmer and indirect immunofluorescence method (BioMerieux, France) were used. From a total of 275 samples of cloacal swabs the presence of Chlamydophila psittaci antigen was detected by ELISA (DAKO Ltd., United Kingdom) in 34.9% birds: 45.5% in intensive breeding chickens, 12.1% in free-living pigeons and 8.0% in parrots. By the same method the presence of Chlamydophila psittaci antigen in breeding pigeons was not detected. Sixty cloacal swabs from intensive breeding chickens and pigeons were tested by immunoenzyme test (Unipath Limited, England) and the presence of the pathogen was found in 6.7% cases. Fifty-eight sera from free-living pigeons and intensive breeding chickens were tested for the presence of specific antibodies to Chlamydophila psittaci by indirect immunofluorescence method and were found in 42.1% examined sera of pigeons, and in 27.6% pigeons from the total number of examined birds. The presence of specific antibodies was not found in sera of intensive breeding chickens. Using a complement fixation test, antibodies were not detected in the examined sera in pigeons nor in intensive breeding chickens. The results of this study show that the presence of antigens and antibodies for Chlamydophila psittaci is obvious in tested sera samples, but the clinical disease was not found in any of the examined birds.