The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed an additional case of virulent Newcastle disease in backyard birds in San Bernardino County, California increasing the total cases to ten.  Click here for recent APHIS updates.

Virulent Newcastle disease has not been found in commercial poultry in the United States since 2003.  No human cases of Newcastle disease have ever occurred from eating poultry products and properly cooked poultry products are safe to eat. Samples from the flocks were tested at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS).  The APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, confirms all findings.  APHIS is working closely with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to respond to these findings and to conduct an epidemiological investigation.  Federal and state partners are also conducting additional surveillance and testing in the area.