A case of Newcastle disease has been confirmed in a backyard flock of birds in southwestern Russia.
Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance on October 16 reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) that the virus had been a backyard flock in Kantyshevoj, which is located near Russia’s border with the country of Georgia.
The presence of Newcastle disease had been confirmed through a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at a local laboratory on October 2, and through a reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test conducted at an OIE reference laboratory on October 15. The source of the infection was reported as unknown or inconclusive.
According to the OIE report, three of the fifteen birds in the flock had died as a result of contracting Newcastle disease, while the other 12 susceptible birds were killed and disposed of. The report did not specify the species of birds that were in the infected flock.
Additional control measures taken included quarantine, disinfection, movement control inside the country, zoning, surveillance within the containment and/or protection zone and control of wildlife reservoirs.
The OIE stated that the Newcastle disease situation in Russia is ongoing, and that weekly reports would be submitted until it is resolved.
Earlier Newcastle disease outbreaks in Russia
In February, Rosselkhoznadzor reported to the OIE that two earlier outbreaks of Newcastle disease had been resolved. One of the outbreaks occurred in the Primorskiy Kray region, which is in the far eastern portion of Russia and borders China.
The other outbreak was reported in the Kursk oblast, which is in the western part of the country.
In all of the reported cases, Newcastle disease was detected in backyard flocks.
Newcastle disease cases in Israel still unresolved
In a separate report on the OIE website, two cases of Newcastle disease in Israel that were reported in June 2019 have yet to be resolved.
One case involved a flock of 45,000 six-week-old broilers, while the other included an unspecified number of birds at a farm. Both cases occurred in the Hazafon Northern District.
