US virulent Newcastle disease cases continue in July

Virulent Newcastle disease cases have continued in backyard exhibition chickens in California, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

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Virulent Newcastle disease cases have continued in backyard exhibition chickens in California, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

So far, no commercial poultry flocks have been affected, and the last time a commercial flock in the U.S. was hit by the disease was in 2003.

As of July 12, APHIS had reported 11 new cases of virulent Newcastle disease, previously referred to as exotic Newcastle disease. Ten of those cases were confirmed in San Bernardino County, while the other was confirmed in Riverside County.

The most recent cases follow 27 confirmed cases in June, and nine in May. All but one of the June cases occurred in San Bernardino County, with the other also taking place Riverside County. The first virulent Newcastle disease case was confirmed on May 17 in Los Angeles County, but that has been the only confirmation in that county. All subsequent cases in May were in San Bernardino County.

One confirmed case affected mixed species of backyard exhibition birds, but in every other instance, it was backyard exhibition chickens that were affected.

Impact on poultry exhibitions

In a move to prevent the further spread of the disease, at least one fair in the state has cancelled its poultry show. According to a report from Champion Newspapers, the poultry show has been cancelled at the Chino Junior Fair.

Steve Lyle, spokesperson for the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), said that at the present time, the only bans for poultry shows are in quarantined areas around where virulent Newcastle Disease detections were made, though he has heard "anecdotally" that some fairs are considering not holding a poultry show this year.

He added that the CDFA is taking every opportunity it can to stress the importance of biosecurity to bird owners in an effort to prevent the further spread of the disease.

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