January 10, 2019
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed virulent Newcastle disease (vND) in two more commercial poultry flocks in California. The latest cases are flocks also in Riverside County. The first commercial finding in a pullet flock was announced on December 15. These are the first three cases of vND in commercial poultry in the U.S. since 2003.
The second farm is in the process of depopulating the 162,000 birds. USDA is still waiting for details on the third flock but know it is a commercial layer farm with over 100,000 birds, approximately five miles from the second flock. Producers should be extremely vigilant with their biosecurity measures as this virus continues to spread in the counties with infection detected in backyard flocks.
The commercial cases are part of an outbreak in southern California that began in May 2018 in backyard exhibition birds.
APHIS is working closely with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to respond to the finding, limit the disease’s spread in commercial poultry, and eradicate it. Federal and State partners are conducting additional testing in the area and are working with nearby commercial farms to increase biosecurity to prevent the additional spread of the disease.
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