Seroprevalence of avian leukosis virus in local chickens in five live bird markets, Kaduna metropolis, North-western Nigeria

Avian leukosis virus is recognized as an important viral pathogen in the poultry industry, resulting in salient severe economic losses due to reduced production, uneven flock growth rates, reduced growth, and immunosuppression which predispose affected birds to other infections. This study examined the seroprevalence of avian leukosis virus (ALV) in local chickens (LC) in 5 different live bird markets (LBMs) in Kaduna Metropolis. A total of 276 sera were tested for ALV p27 antigen using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). An overall seroprevalence of 28.3% (78/276) was recorded in the study. At the market level, the seroprevalence of 35% (21/60), 30% (18/60), 32% (16/50), 28.6% (16/56), and 14% (7/50) were recorded for Sabon Tasha, Central market, Railway station, Kawo and Sokoto Road LBMs respectively. With regards to sex, female LC showed a significantly higher prevalence of 30.5% (46/105) compared to male chickens 26.9% (46/171) with no significant difference (P > 0.05) observed. This study established the presence of antigen to ALV in local chickens sold in LBMs. We recommend surveillance and further studies on the isolation, molecular characterization and pathogenicity of ALV in the study area.