The Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has been isolated in most of the species of free and domestic life all over the world. The international trade of birds should be considered as an important factor of disease spread. Natural and experimental infections were already demonstrated in, at least, 236 species of birds. Therefore, wild, free or captive, and non vaccinated domestic birds can act as reservoir for VDN. To analyze this hypothesis, birds from the municipal Zoo of Rio de Janeiro and from private properties in the municipal districts of Seropédica, Japeri, Paulo de Frontin, Paracambi, Valença, Barra do Piraí, Rio de Janeiro and Nova Friburgo, RJ, Brazil had their blood collected and plasmas stored for detection of antibodies levels for VDN. A panel of 837 plasmas was obtained, in the period of August of 1998 to July of 2001, and analyzed by the hemaglutination inhibition (HI) test, from which 12 were soropositives (1.43%) for NDV, indicating the contact of the birds with the pathogen.
Newcastle disease virus; paramyxovridae; serology; avian pathology
