The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service did not confirm any new premises as positive for virulent Newcastle disease (vND) during the week of June 7-13.
Upon further inspection of the USDA website, it appears the last new positive premise was identified on June 4, 2019, in Riverside County, California, in backyard exhibition chickens. As of approximately 7 p.m. central time on June 18, Annette Jones, director and state veterinarian with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) confirmed in an email that there still had been no new cases.
Information from ground zero
“We have a quarantine in place in San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties that prohibits bird movement. That is essential as we work to eradicate the disease,” Jones said in response to a question about what control methods she felt were the most effective in dealing with the issue.
She said that the week without spread could be attributed to several things including cooperation from communities, diligent work from vet-associated crews and added resources.
Jones said that it is very difficult to predict if there will be more spread of vND in the coming weeks.
“We have our fingers crossed," she said. "We urge all poultry owners to remain vigilant and be sure not to move their birds until the areawide quarantine is lifted by CDFA."
vND is a very dangerous disease that threatens all the poultry in the U.S.
“Producers should make sure their biosecurity measures are sufficient to protect their flocks," she said. "Maintaining adequate biosecurity over time can be expensive and takes support from all levels within a poultry business, but continued movement toward developing a 'biosecurity culture' is critical."
