First molecular detection of chicken anemia virus in Sudanese broiler and backyard poultry: Diagnostic insights and isolation attempts

Chicken infectious anemia (CIA), caused by chicken anemia virus (CAV), is a significant immunosuppressive disease affecting global poultry production. This study provides the first molecular detection of CAV in Sudanese poultry using real-time PCR. Tissue samples (bursa of Fabricius, liver, spleen, and kidney) from three cases (two broilers, one backyard hen) were analyzed. All samples tested positive for CAV by real-time PCR (Ct = 30-32). Following yolk sac inoculation in embryonated eggs, weak positivity was observed after one passage (Ct = 34-35). Virus isolation in Vero cells failed for field samples but succeeded with vaccine control. This study establishes molecular evidence of CAV circulation in Sudan, bridging the gap between previous seroprevalence data and direct viral detection and highlights current limitations in virus propagation. More sequencing-based work is needed to characterize local strains.