A3O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 15, 2003
Poultry Industry On The Alert For Exotic Newcastle Disease
Local Meeting
Addresses END
MICHELLE KUNJAPPU
Lancaster Farming Staff
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.)
The hot news in the poultry in
dustry today is the outbreak of
Exotic Newcastle Disease (END)
in California and now Nevada
and Arizona.
More than 30 poultry industry
representatives gathered at
Kreider’s restaurant in Manheim
to hear an update from Dr.
David Kradel, DVM, adviser to
PennAg Industries Association
and Penn State, and Jim Shirk,
Penn Ag.
Newcastle viruses, explained
Kradel, differ in disease-produc
ing abilities. The three strains in
clude low to high pathogenicity.
The low pathogenicity Lentogen
ic strain, for example, used for
vaccines, is endemic to the U.S.
and essentially all commercial
flocks are vaccinated multiple
times for the disease. The highly
pathogenic strains of the Newcas
tle viruses cause Exotic Newcas
tle Disease.
The virus, said Kradel, is
spread by infected birds, people,
equipment, and air. It can sur
vive for weeks in a warm, moist
environment and indefinitely in
frozen materials, however can be
killed by disinfectants, heat, dry
ness, and sunlight.
All avian species can be in
fected, however waterfowl are
less susceptible. In fact some spe
cies, such as parrots and water
fowl, can be carriers and shed
ding the disease but not showing
any signs, said Kradel.
Birds may exhibit symptoms
such as sneezing, coughing, gasp
ing, and nasal discharge, besides
a watery, greenish diarrhea.
Other, external signs may be the
swelling of combs, wattles, eye
lids, and head.
Nervous signs may be depres
sion, tremors, twisted head or
neck, paralysis, or sudden death.
Hens may produce eggs with a
moderate to marked
decrease and with thin
shells.
The disease can be
confused with highly
pathogenic avian in-
fluenza, fowl cholera,
laryngotracheitis, fowl
pox, and Coryza,
according to Kradel.
Poultry farms may
experience up to 100
percent mortality in
unvaccinated flocks
10-20 percent
and
mortality in vaccinat-
ed flocks. It does not,
however, pose a threat
to public health and
doesn’t affect the safe-
ty of poultry and egg
products.
To prevent the
virus, avoid contact
with game fowl, re-
cently acquired par
rots, and migrating
waterfowl, suggested
Kradel. “By not look-
ing at milder cases of
the disease, we could
conceivably miss this
for a period of time,”
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From left, Dr. Dave Kradel, DVM, and Jim Shirk,
PennAg Industries Association, spoke about Exotic New
castle Disease at a recent meeting. They are joined by
Greg Martin, poultry extension agent.
he said.
From 1973 until now, END
was introduced through pet birds
each year (except for two years),
however was picked up before it
spread to commercial flocks.Cali
fomia’s most recent outbreak
began in game fowl flocks. The
discussion in that state, said Kra
del, is whether the virus should
be contained by vaccinating birds
or by massive depopulation.
Six commercial flocks were in
fected and are now depopulated
in California, said Shirk. Besides
commercial flocks, backyard
flocks have also been depopu
lated.
The owners of the birds have
been compensated fair market
value from the USDA. More than
1,500 officials are working on
eradication, and more than 9,000
premises have been quarantined,
he said.
Shirk gave an update on the
situation after speaking to Bill
Mattos, California Poultry Feder
ations Executive Director.
According to Shirk, Mattos said,
“as an industry, we still feel
things jure moving too slowly.”
Mattos is hoping to see a shut
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“We do feel that the USDA
and California Ag Departments
are cooperating well, and their ef
forts are essential to stamping
this out,” said Mattos, however
“we just get a bit frustrated by
how slow decisions are sometimes
made.”
Although everything is being
done to keep any birds from
moving out of the state, said Mat
tos, he wonders how many fight
ing cocks are moving under
ground throughout the country.
Pennsylvania should be careful
of underground poultry move
ment out of California, since the
state “had a lot of (game) birds
that they can’t account for that
may have traveled east,” he said.
“The main things is that we
want to keep our biosecurity eyes
open. It could be something real
ly minor such as a minor drop
in egg production but its im
portant to get it checked,” ___
Shirk said.
END Affects Trade with 34 Countries
Nearly two million birds have
been destroyed in California and
Nevada, where a task force com
prised of more than 1,600 federal
and state animal health employ
ees is working to stop an out
break of Exotic Newcastle Dis
ease (END) that has infected or
exposed six commercial poultry
operations and nearly 1,700 non
commercial or ‘backyard’ flocks.
The END eradication effort,
which has been ongoing since Oc
tober 2002, was dealt a setback
Wednesday, Feb. 5, when Arizo
na Department of Agriculture of
ficials announced END had
spread to a small flock of back
yard birds on the Colorado River
Indian Tribe’s reservation in
western Arizona.
A highly contagious foreign
viral disease, END affects only
poultry and most species of birds,
but it does not pose a health
threat to humans, food or other
animals.
Dr. James Lenarduzzi, acting
executive director for the Texas
Animal Health Commission, the
state’s regulatory agency for live
stock and poultry health, stated,
“Commercial flock movement
has been stopped from the affect
ed areas.
“However, many people with a
large yard or country acreage
own a few chickens for laying
eggs, or for the enjoyment of hav
ing ducks, geese or other bird
species as yard pets. Students
often choose to raise poultry for
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Dr. Lenardduzzi, said there
were concerns that END-exposed
birds could be transported (into
another state) by passenger vehi
cle, then be introduced into a
small, noncommerical flock.
“We are urging owners to exer
cise extreme caution when pur
chasing or moving new birds into
their flock. Buyers should always
know where the birds originated,
and health papers issued by a
veterinarian should accompany
the shipment,” said Dr. Lenar
duzzi.
“To keep END from spread
ing, everyone also must comply
with the quarantine restrictions
affecting birds, poultry and poul
try products from southern Cali
fornia, southern Nevada and
western Arizona.”
Dr. Lenarduzzi explained that
the impact of an END outbreak
goes far beyond a state’s borders.
At least 34 countries, including
Russia, Spain, Brazil, China, and
Mexico have suspended the im
portation of poultry and poultry
products from the states affected
by the END outbreak.
Bird owners should report un
expected death losses, severe ill
ness affecting the flock, or signs
of disease in birds, including
gasping, muscular tremors or pa
ralysis to their state Department
of Agriculture.