On March 22, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that USDA has allocated $45 million to address vND in California.  United Egg Producers staff and consultants, along with other national poultry and agriculture groups, have diligently encouraged USDA to take action on the urgent need for additional emergency funding for the eradication of Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) in the United States.  These groups include the American Association of Avian Pathologists, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Veterinary Medical Association, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, California Poultry Federation, and Pacific Egg and Poultry Association.

Newcastle Detected in Northern California

News that Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) has moved north from Southern California has the poultry industry very concerned.  The disease was detected in a bird at a veterinary clinic in Redwood City in Alameda County late last week.  Currently, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and USDA are not aware of any other cases in Northern California but are actively investigating.

The disease, first reported on May 17, 2018, in Los Angeles County, has led to the euthanasia of over one million backyard and commercial birds in Southern California.  The latest detection brings the total to 403 cases of vND in California, including 123 in San Bernardino County, 236 in Riverside County, 42 in Los Angeles County, one in Ventura County, and one in Alameda County.  USDA also confirmed one case in Utah County, Utah.  Due to the threat to the state’s $2.5-billion poultry industry, poultry owners are prohibited from moving birds in Los Angeles County, as well as large areas of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.  Click here for more information about the areas under quarantine.