Multi-year serological evaluation of three viral agents in the Adélie Penguin ( Pygoscelis adeliae ) on Ross Island, Antarctica

Serological assays are commonly used in wildlife health studies to screen for exposure of an individual or a population to infectious agents. Such assays can therefore provide useful information regarding the health status of an individual or for determining the prevalence of a pathogen within a population. In this study, serological assays of three viral agents have been conducted on the Adélie Penguin ( Pygoscelis adeliae ) on Ross Island, Ross Sea, Antarctica. We sampled adult Adélie Penguins during three consecutive summer breeding seasons (2010–2011, 2011–2012 and 2012–2013), and tested those samples for antibodies to avian influenza A virus, Newcastle disease virus, and infectious bursal disease virus. No antibodies were detected for avian influenza A virus in any season. Two samples in 2012–2013 were positive for Newcastle disease virus antibodies and a total of 10 samples were positive for infectious bursal disease virus antibodies during this study. This information establishes baseline data for these three viruses in Adélie Penguins at this location and can be used for future comparisons of disease prevalence in this population.