Eggs pulled from Swiss stores over Newcastle concerns

A holding of 6,000 laying hens has been affected by Newcastle disease, leading several hundred packages of table eggs that originated at the farm to be withdrawn from stores.

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Rubensito, Freeimages.com
Rubensito, Freeimages.com

A holding of 6,000 laying hens has been affected by Newcastle disease, leading several hundred packages of table eggs that originated at the farm to be withdrawn from stores.

According to reports submitted by the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Newcastle disease was discovered at a layer farm in the Switzerland’s Canton of Ticino. The farm owner observed a drop in egg production from hens in one of two poultry houses on the premises over a two-week period. The owner also noticed that about 90 percent of the eggs laid in that barn were discolored and many lacked a proper shell.

The farm had two barns, both of which contained about 3,000 hens.

Tests conducted at the National Reference Centre for Diseases of Poultry and Rabbits, University of Zurich, showed that the hens in one ban tested positive for Newcastle, but those in the other barn did not.

While no birds died from the effects of Newcastle disease, all 6,000 birds were stamped out. The property is being disinfected and protection and control zones have been established.

According to OIE, there are 12 poultry holdings within the protection zone and 103 poultry holdings within the control zone. All poultry holdings are considered by the OIE to be small. Sampling of birds within the protection zone has commenced, but to date, none have tested positive for Newcastle disease.

The source of the infection has not been determined.

OIE stated that it will submit weekly reports on the Newcastle disease situation in Switzerland until it is resolved.

Newcastle disease in Sweden

OIE is also submitting weekly updates concerning Newcastle disease in Sweden. In an outbreak at a farm in Skane County, 9,000 of 26,000 organic laying hens on the property were found to have contracted Newcastle disease, but only 16 birds died.

A 3-kilometer protection zone and 10-kilometer surveillance zone have been put in place, but the disease has not spread beyond the initial farm.

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