Serological evidence of Avian Pneumovirus infection in broiler and layer chickens in Grenada, West Indies

A serological survey was conducted to detect avian pneumovirus (APV) antibodies in commercial poultry birds in Grenada using a commercially available enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Sera were collected from 226 layers and 233 broilers. Age of the layers ranged from 12 to 18 months while that of the broilers ranged from 6 to 7 weeks. One hundred forty of the layers (61.9%) and 74 of the broilers (31.8%) were positive for APV antibodies. Chickens are not vaccinated for APV in Grenada and these results indicate that commercial poultry birds are exposed to this important poultry pathogen. This is the first report of serologic evidence of APV in Grenada and the Eastern Caribbean region.