Molecular detection of chicken anaemia virus (CAV) in house sparrow (Passer domesticus) in Iran

Until now, chickens were considered as the only natural and main host for chicken anaemia virus (CAV), but this virus was also recently detected in other bird species such as Japanese quail, jackdaw, rook and rare avian breeds. In this study, the occurrence of CAV was investigated in sparrow thymuses (n = 100) from 2 central provinces in Iran (Isfahan and Chaharmahal-vabakhtiyari) using specific PCR for the VP2 gene amplification. Result showed that 38% of samples were positive for CAV. It was concluded that CAV was widespread in sparrows in Iran and that sparrows may be considered as an important reservoir for the viral infection.