During the month of February, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed 47 cases of virulent Newcastle disease (vND) in Southern California.
California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones recently modified Southern California’s quarantine area to further restrict bird movement in hopes of better controlling the issue.
“The quarantine mandates the reporting of sick birds and prohibits poultry owners from moving birds in all of Los Angeles County, and in large areas of San Bernardino and Riverside counties,” the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced.
The quarantine requires bird owners to allow diagnostic testing, to segregate poultry from other species, to stop exhibitions, to halt the shipping and receiving of birds, and to increase biosecurity.
“By modifying the quarantine area in Southern California, we are building upon an ongoing effort to eradicate virulent Newcastle disease,” Jones in the CDFA report. “The primary way that vND spreads is by people moving sick birds. Extending the prohibition of bird movement across a larger area is the next logical step in being able to stop the spread of the virus and to eradicate the disease.”
The disease is almost always fatal. Birds may not show initial signs but will die within a couple days of being infected. Thee disease poses no risk to humans. The only way to eradicate the disease is to euthanize birds.
Due to the continuous spread of vND Jones has ordered a mandatory euthanasia of birds in some areas. Birds that may have initially test negative for the disease but live within the means of the mandatory euthanasia area must also follow these orders.
In a previous interview, Jones explained that well vaccinated layer flocks show minimal signs of disease, at least initially, but they can become infected and once introduced, the virus spreads to other houses on the premises.
Since May 18, USDA has confirmed 388 cases of vND in California, including 116 in San Bernardino County, 229 in Riverside County, 42 in Los Angeles County and 1 in Ventura County. USDA also confirmed 1 case in Utah County, Utah.
“Since May 2018, every commercial poultry company in Southern California has implemented some form of enhanced biosecurity, and almost all companies have been submitting regular vND samples to the California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) laboratory, using their own labor but under State oversight,” she said.