Baumberger Cecilia, Di Pillo Francisca, Tapia David, Coloma Claudio, Orozco Katherinne, Galdames Pablo, Oyarzun Cristobal, Gárate Diego, Torreblanca Camila, Ruiz Soledad, Jimenez-Bluhm Pedro, Hamilton-West Christopher
Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile.
Núcleo de Investigación en One Health, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Agronomía, Universidad de Las Américas, Providencia, Santiago 7500590, Chile.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Aug 12;15(16):2364. doi: 10.3390/ani15162364.
Backyard production systems (BPSs) are common in Chile and play an important role in food access and local trade. However, these systems often lack basic biosecurity and disease prevention practices, which increases the risk of disease spreading. In this study, we evaluated the presence of two major avian respiratory viruses, infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), in BPSs located near wetlands in central Chile. These areas are known as the country's main poultry production zones. We collected 449 poultry serum samples from 88 BPSs and performed serological tests using ELISA. Additionally, we analyzed 250 poultry tracheal swabs from 31 BPSs using qPCR. The results showed high seroprevalence levels: 95.5% of BPSs tested positive for IBV and 85.2% for ILTV. At the animal level, 82.2% were positive for IBV and 57.2% for ILTV. Most birds had antibodies to both viruses. However, active infections were less frequent, with 4.3% of tracheal swabs testing positive for IBV and 14.1% for ILTV during 2021 and 0.6% and 3.8% for IBV and ILTV, respectively, during 2024. This is the first serological and molecular evidence of IBV and ILTV circulation in backyard poultry in central Chile. Since this region includes most of the country's poultry industry, these findings raise concern about the risk of virus transmission to commercial farms. The high circulation rates suggest that backyard poultry could act as reservoirs and may contribute to decreased productivity. Our results highlight the need for improved disease surveillance and enhancement of biosecurity in BPSs in Chile.
后院养殖系统（BPSs）在智利很常见，在食物获取和本地贸易中发挥着重要作用。然而，这些系统往往缺乏基本的生物安全和疾病预防措施，这增加了疾病传播的风险。在本研究中，我们评估了智利中部湿地附近的后院养殖系统中两种主要的禽呼吸道病毒——传染性支气管炎病毒（IBV）和传染性喉气管炎病毒（ILTV）的存在情况。这些地区是该国主要的家禽生产区。我们从88个后院养殖系统中收集了449份家禽血清样本，并使用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）进行血清学检测。此外，我们使用定量聚合酶链反应（qPCR）分析了来自31个后院养殖系统的250份家禽气管拭子。结果显示血清阳性率很高：95.5%的后院养殖系统IBV检测呈阳性，85.2%的ILTV检测呈阳性。在动物层面，82.2%的动物IBV呈阳性，57.2%的动物ILTV呈阳性。大多数禽类对这两种病毒都有抗体。然而，活跃感染的情况较少见，2021年期间，4.3%的气管拭子IBV检测呈阳性，14.1%的气管拭子ILTV检测呈阳性；2024年期间，IBV和ILTV的阳性率分别为0.6%和3.8%。这是智利中部后院家禽中IBV和ILTV传播的首个血清学和分子证据。由于该地区涵盖了该国大部分家禽产业，这些发现引发了对病毒传播至商业养殖场风险的担忧。高传播率表明后院家禽可能充当病毒宿主，并可能导致生产力下降。我们的结果凸显了智利后院养殖系统中改善疾病监测和加强生物安全的必要性。
