Survey of antibodies against Francisella tularensis and some enteropathogenic bacteria in the Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix

Abstract

Eighty-two hooded crows Corvus corone cornix L., 1758, were trapped in December 1980 using a great Norwegian Hooded Crows Trap in Grorud-dalen, Oslo, Norway. The birds were separated into two groups according to age (less than one year old, and more than one year old). Blood samples were taken by heart puncture and the sera were tested for antibodies against Francisella tularensis and three species (serotypes) of Salmonella. Sera from two birds showed antibodies against F. tularensis, but no antibodies against Salmonella were demonstrated. Cultivation of rectal swab samples for species of Salmonella or Yersinia was negative, but Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni was found in faeces of 88 % of the crows tested.

Keywords

• Aves
• Passeriformes
• interspecific dynamic
• sampling
• Southern Norway