309 VETERINARSKI ARHIV 74 (4), 309-317, 2004 * Contact address: Dr. Lawal Sa’idu, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, Phone: +080 345 04 097 ISSN 0372-5480 Printed in Croatia Prevalence of Newcastle disease antibodies in domestic and semi-domestic birds in Zaria, Nigeria Lawal Sa’idu 1 *, Lazarus Baba Tekdek 2 , and Paul Ayuba Abdu 1 1 Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria 2 Department of Veterinary Surgery and Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria SA’IDU, L., L. B. TEKDEK, P. A. ABDU: Prevalence of Newcastle disease antibodies in domestic and semi-domestic birds in Zaria, Nigeria. Vet. arhiv 74, 309-317, 2004. ABSTRACT Out of 380 birds sampled, 128 (35.7%) were galliformes, 100 (28.6%) anseriformes, while 100 (28.6%) were columbiformes and 25 (7.1%) struthioformes. Haemagglutination Inhibition (HI) test was used for detection and quantification of antibodies against Newcastle Disease (ND) virus. The HI titre of each bird was determined and expressed in log 2 and the mean for each species was calculated. Of the galliformes tested, 92% of the chickens tested were positive, as were only 12% of the quails tested. Among the columbiformes tested, 44% of domestic pigeons tested were positive, as were 24% of mourning doves tested. The only species tested among the struthioformes was the ostrich, of which 52% were positive to ND virus antibodies. The mean HI titre for local chickens was 7.3 log 2 , 0.4 log 2 for quails, 0.1 for Khaki Campbell, 0.4 log 2 for laughing dove and 1.9 log 2 for ostrich. Galliformes were more susceptible to ND virus than all the other families tested. Anseriformes seem to be less susceptible to ND virus, although a high percentage of Muscovy ducks were positive to ND virus antibodies. Domestic pigeons and turtle doves were more susceptible to ND virus than other members of the columbiformes tested. Although there is no report of a clinical outbreak of ND in anseriformes and columbiformes in Nigeria, they are nevertheless infected with ND virus and may therefore serve as reservoirs of ND virus for galliformes. Key words: Newcastle disease, antibodies, galliformes, anseriformes, columbiformes, struthioformes