Occurrence of Chicken Anemia Virus in Backyard Chickens of the Metropolitan Region

The occurrence of CAV in backyard chickens in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, was evaluated. The spleen and thymus of chickens from different origins were collected for DNA extraction and nested-PCR. CAV genome was detected in 30 % of the flocks (n=20) examined. CAV origin for backyard chickens is speculated, taking into consideration its widespread incidence in the chicken industry, the contamination of live vaccines with CAV prior to its eradication from SPF flocks, and the use of attenuated CAV vaccines