California finally free from Newcastle quarantine
On June 1st, The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officially put […]
On June 1st, The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officially put an end to the Newcastle Disease Virus quarantine that shook Southern California.
Virulent Newcastle disease Virus (vNDV) was first detected in May 2018 in Los Angeles County. By December of the same year, it had spread extensively to backyard poultry in the L.A. Basin and also infected commercial flocks.
Though more than 15 states shave fought and eradicated this virus since 1950; historically, the largest outbreaks have taken place in California in 1971-1974 and 2002-2003, following a similar pattern but with wider spread than the recent 2018-2020 outbreak.
The virus affects birds with particularly lethal effects on poultry, affecting their digestive, nervous and respiratory systems, but is not considered a threat to human health. Though vNDV was not considered native to the United States, it eventually spread ferociously amongst birds, and its effects are so detrimental to poultry health and production, that it triggers state, federal and international regulatory responses.
In Southern California, after prolonged disease control efforts, the last confirmed positive case was registered in February 2020. Testing continued throughout the area for the sake of reassurance. Once the results were satisfactory, poultry once again received green light to move freely within the state.
“We have eagerly anticipated this day and are extremely proud of the tireless work of the Virulent Newcastle Disease Task Force,” Karen Ross, secretary of CDFA, said. “While we extend gratitude to the hundreds of dedicated and skilled USDA, CDFA and California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System employees who worked for over two years to achieve this goal, often in adverse conditions. We also want to thank the thousands of poultry owners in Southern California who made the sacrifices and investments needed to eradicate this virus from California.”
As an added layer of protection to California flocks, poultry entering the state must either have a certificate of veterinary inspection demonstrating good health or a National Poultry Improvement Program certificate. The CDFA retains the authority to monitor and test poultry so that any future infections can be stopped quickly.
Additionally, the CDFA and the USDA, will be collaborating with many bird enthusiasts fom Southern California, to establish an on-going disease monitoring for the region, as well as implementing biosecurity training.
“We hope to continue working with bird-owning communities to prevent a reintroduction of widespread disease, so that we never have to place an areawide VND quarantine in Southern California again.” Dr. Annette Jones, California state veterinarian, said.
Backyard poultry owners are encouraged to practice biosecurity to minimize as much as possible any future occurrences of this viral infection, and to also report to the appropriate authorities should they observe anything out of the ordinary.
Source: https://myvalleynews.com/usda-announces-end-to-virulent-newcastle-disease-quarantine/
