- Author: Ben Faber
Virulent Newcastle's Disease is Still at Large
NOTICIA: Enfermedad de Newcastle Virulento
El Departamento de Alimentos y Agricultura de California y el Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos estan investigando una incidencia de la enfermedad de Newcastle virulento que fue encontrada el 18 de mayo 2018 en una bandada de pollitos de corral de traspatio de exhibicion en el condado de Los Angeles, California. Este es el primer caso de la enfermedad de Newcastle virulento (VND), antes conocido como enfermedad de Newcastle exotica, en los Estados Unidos desde el 2003. Como es temprano en la invetigación, es posible que más casos pueden ocurrir.
To support our disease containment and eradication efforts, the CA State Veterinarian is recommending that all poultry exhibitions that include birds from high-risk counties (Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura) be cancelled. An exhibition is an assembly of birds (including but not limited to poultry) brought to the assembly location for purposes that include public display for any duration. These can be auctions, shops, pet marts, cock fights, petting zoos, or more.
- Over 350 confirmed cases have been reported in Southern California including 4 commercial poultry farms. An additional case in Utah has been reported and is believed to be linked to Southern California.
- Infected flocks have been immediately euthanized to prevent further contamination. Approximately 1,000,000 backyard and commercial birds have been euthanized as a result.
- USDA is announcing confirmed cases weekly. These can be found here: www.aphis.usda.gov/
animalhealth/vnd. - Samples are tested by the California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS), and confirmed by the APHIS national lab in Iowa.
- Human infection is rare and can be prevented by properly cooking poultry products and wearing personal protective equipment when handling poultry.
- Please report sick birds or unusual deaths!
- USDA's toll free number:-866-536-7593
- Biosecurity for Birds.
From AVEP
For more information regarding Virulent New Castle Disease, please see below:
Virulent Newcastle Disease is a highly contagious and deadly virus in birds; the virus is found in respiratory discharges and feces. Clinical signs in birds include:
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It is essential that all poultry owners follow good biosecurity practices to help protect their birds from infectious diseases such as Newcastle. These include simple steps like washing hands and scrubbing boots before and after entering a poultry area; cleaning and disinfecting tires and equipment before moving them off the property; and isolating any birds returning from shows for 30 days before placing them with the rest of the flock.
For backyard flock owners, biosecurity measures are to use dedicated shoes and clothes when caring for them and not to use/wear those clothes/shoes in other areas.
Additional information on biosecurity can be found at:
- USDA Biosecurity for Birds
- CDFA Backyard Biosecurity for Poultry
- CDFA Disease Prevention Guide for Backyard an Pet Bird Owners
- CPF Biosecurity Workshop Videos
- Thoughts on vaccination against virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine-Cooperative Extension
In addition to practicing good biosecurity, all bird owners should report sick birds or unusual bird deaths through California's Sick Bird Hotline at 866-922-BIRD (2473). Additional information on VND and biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at CDFA's Virulent Newcastle Disease Updates webpage.
Sick or dead backyard birds can be submitted to CAHFS laboratories for post-mortem examination ($20 plus shipping and handling). Information on this program can be found at CDFA's CAHFS Laboratory Necropsy Services for California Backyard Poultry Owners webpage.
For additional information on who to contact for issues regarding backyard poultry, see Find an Expert or contact Dr. Maurice Pitesky at 530-219-1407 or mepitesky@ucdavis.edu.
Virulent Newcastle disease is not a food safety concern. No human cases of Newcastle disease have ever occurred from eating poultry products. Properly cooked poultry products are safe to eat. In very rare instances people working directly with sick birds can become infected. Symptoms are usually very mild, and limited to conjunctivitis and/or influenza-like symptoms. Infection is easily prevented by using standard personal protective equipment.
Please feel free to share widely.
https://ucanr.edu/sites/poultry/PP/
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- Author: Ben Faber
Problem: There was a Valencia farmer in Ojai, farming on a rocky loam. More rocky than loam, on a 10 % slope, where he had been spraying the weeds down, the soil had gradually washed away and all he had left was scattered cobbles.
Solution: He planted a winter cover crop to protect the soil from erosion. He weed whipped it three times a year because that's all he could afford.
Result: After two years he had stopped the erosion, and there was actually a little duff layer forming in the orchard from the decomposing ground cover.
Problem: But now that wonderful cover crop and the cover it provided had attracted gophers that were chewing on the trees and because of inattention had killed a few of them. He couldn't trap fast enough.
Solution: He brought in a ‘Jack Russell' terrier that did a marvelous job at keeping the beasts down.
Problem: About the same time he noticed that he was getting gobs of snails that were getting into the trees. Even though he had lifted the skirts and painted copper on the trunks, they were still getting into the trees. He couldn't keep up with the winter weeds.
Solution: He brought in weeder geese to help with the ground cover and chickens to help with the snails and they worked.
Problem: Now the terrier is distracted by the fowl and is killing the chicks and goslings, as well as the gophers. In fact, he would prefer chasing the fowlings to going after gophers.
Solution: He tied a tether ball around the terrier's neck which slowed it down enough so that the young ones could get away.
Problem: Also with the introduction of birds, he also brought in coyotes which killed the larger birds.
Solution: He brought in a ‘Queensland Heeler' which is a bred that is noted for killing dingos in Australia. They are short-legged, barrel chested dogs that roll over on their back and pretend to be dead and when the coyote comes sniffing around, it grabs the coyote's neck and kills it.
Problem: What's next in this cause and effect chain of events?
This is a true story, but in today's world because of Food Safety and Good Agricultural Practices Certification would not happen with all these animals in the orchard, but something like it happens every time we overturn the flow of events. This is not the only scenario that is played out in agriculture. But hey, that's what a good grower is doing, managing a somewhat chaotic chain of events.