RESUMEN
This study provides information on serology and serum chemistry of the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus). Twenty condors living under natural conditions were captured, blood sampled, measured, and released. In addition, 12 captive condors maintained at the Metropolitan Zoo of Santiago, Chile, were included as a comparison with free-living birds. All sera were negative to antibodies against reference strains of avian paramyxoviruses of serotypes 1 to 9, avian influenza and avian pox virus. Free-living condors had total protein, albumin, globulin and Mg values significantly (P< 0.05) lower than those of captive birds. The haematological values obtained in free-living condors are of particular interest since they may correspond to the optimum values of the species.
RESUMEN
Diagnosis of infectious diseases in birds using direct assays such as conventional ELISA or immunofluorescence require antibody directed to IgG of each avian species. In this study, we tested binding of human C1q to different antigen-antibody complexes of two avian species in a sandwich immunofluorescent complement fixation test (S-ICFT). The reaction was as follows: virus (in cells) + decomplemented avian serum + human-C1q + goat anti-human-C1q + fluorescein isothiocyanate rabbit anti-goat-IgG. Positive and negative chicken (order Galliformes) sera against chicken anaemia virus (CAV) and sera against avian pox virus as well as positive and negative sera against chicken pox virus raised in a milvago chimango (order Falconiformes) were used. Positive sera of either avian species demonstrated clear fluorescent staining of infected cells while negative sera did not show any reaction. This demonstrated that both chicken and milvago chimango antibodies were able to bind human C1q. Since both avian species tested belonged to different orders, we believe that antibodies of other avian species will also bind human Clq allowing serological surveys in feral birds through S-ICFT.