Serological investigation and preliminary analysis on Reticuloendotheliosis Virus in chicken flocks in Fuzhou

The antibody of the reticuloendotheliosis virus(REV)was found in 9 flocks of chicken in Fuzhou using a commercial ELISA REV antibody test kit.Four hundred twenty seven serum samples were collected.The results indicated that the positive rate on the tested serum samples was 29.51%(126/427).The antibody could be detected in 7 of the 9 flocks(77.78%).The percentage of positive sera per flock ranged between 0 and 98.36%.Comparison of the positive rates of antibody against REV of different chicken varieties showed the positive antibody rates were highest in broilers(61.18%),with layers second at 15.48%,followed by breeders at 6.60%.There appeared to be no significant correlationship between the positive rate and age or variety of the chickens.In other words,the REV infection was prevalent among chicken flocks in Fuzhou,with a varying degree of susceptibility for chickens of different age or variety.