Abstract In order to determine the actual prevalence of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in wild birds in Bosnia and Herzegovina, extensive surveillance was carried out between October 2005 and April 2006. A total of 394 samples representing 41 bird species were examined for the presence of influenza A virus using virus isolation in embryonated chicken eggs, PCR, and nucleotide sequencing. AIV subtype H5N1 was detected in two mute swans (Cygnus olor). The isolates were determined to be highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus and the hemagglutinin sequence was closely similar to A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-10/2005 (H5N1). This is the first report of HPAI subtype H5N1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Important Findings In order to determine the prevalence of avian influenza viruses (AIV) in wild birds in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), extensive surveillance was carried out between October 2005 and April 2006. A total of 394 samples representing 41 bird species were examined for the presence of influenza A virus. AIV subtype H5N1 was detected in 2 mute swans (Cygnus olor). The isolates were determined to be highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus. This is the first report of HPAI subtype H5N1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dugogodisnje koristenja antibiotika u intenzivnoj peradarskoj proizvodnji, bilo kao stimulatora rasta ili u prevenciji oboljenja, rezultiralo je odlaganjem rezidua u jajima i mesu peradi, te pojavi bakterija specifi no rezistentnih na antibiotike. Iz navedenih razloga sirom svijetu je uo ljiv trend zabrane upotrebe pojedinih antibiotika u nutritivne ili profilakti ke svrhe, uz istovremeno traženje alternativnih i neskodljivih sredstava za zamjenu.

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.