Exotic Newcastle Disease
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Emergency Management Warning 39:

Exotic Newcastle Disease Confirmed in the United States

All information in the following Notice marked with an asterisk (*) identifies changes since the last Notice was sent out.

Exotic Newcastle disease (END) was confirmed on October 1, 2002, in the State of California and has now spread beyond backyard flocks to affect eight commercial operations in California. On January 16, 2003, END was also confirmed in a backyard flock in the State of Nevada. A backyard flock was confirmed with END on February 4, 2003, in the State of Arizona. Clinical signs in infected birds include respiratory, nervous, and gastrointestinal sings. Mortality is up to 90% of exposed birds. Investigations are on-going and all figures are pending final validation. Veterinary Services is working rapidly to expand staff on the Task Forces in the States of Arizona, California, and Nevada and is exploring all options to send Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) personnel, other federal government personnel, and is working with the States to consider additional resources to meet the labor demands. APHIS is continuing to develop a plan for national END surveillance. This plan will enhance the already extensive surveillance underway.

* Arizona Situation (as of 5:00 p.m PST, February 10, 2003)

END has been confirmed in a backyard flock in La Paz County, AZ. * The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has instituted a federal quarantine zone to include all of La Paz and Yuma Counties and a portion of Mohave County, AZ. USDA has also declared an extraordinary emergency to provide additional resources and authorities to the END eradication campaign in Arizona. APHIS and the State of Arizona have begun surveillance efforts of the backyard bird population and have established a Task Force in Arizona.

Number of premises positive: 1 (no change from 2/10 report)

Number of contact premises: 3 (no change from 2/10 report)

Number of premises released: 0 (no change from 2/10 report)

Number of premises depopulated: 4

Premises waiting to be depopulated: 0

Birds depopulated to date: 289

Counties with positive flocks: La Paz

* Nevada Situation (as of 5:00 p.m. PST, February 10, 2003)

END has been confirmed in a backyard flock in Las Vegas, NV. Federal and State quarantines have been established for all of Clark County and a portion of Nye County, NV. USDA has also declared an extraordinary emergency for the State of Nevada. APHIS and the State of Nevada have begun surveillance efforts of the backyard bird population and have established a Task Force in Nevada.

Number of premises positive: 8 (no change from 2/10 report)

* Number of contact premises: 98 (up 7 from 2/10 report)

Number of premises released: 0 (no change from 2/10 report)

* Number of premises depopulated: 105

Number of premises to be depopulated: 1

* Birds depopulated to date: 1,745

Counties with positive flocks: Clark

* California Situation (as of 5:00 p.m. PST, February 10, 2003)

Officials with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and APHIS continue to work closely on efforts to control the END outbreak in Southern California. USDA has instituted a federal quarantine zone that serves as a buffer around the END-affected area in Southern California. The department has also declared an extraordinary emergency to provide additional resources and authorities to the END eradication campaign in Southern California.

* Number of premises quarantined: 9,799

* Number of premises positive: 535 (up 3 from 2/10 report)

* Number of contact premises: 1,189 (up 4 from 2/10 report)

Number of premises released: 10 (no change from 2/10 report)

* Number of premises depopulated: 1,467

* Premises waiting to be depopulated: 267

* Birds depopulated to date: 2,069,206

Counties with positive flocks: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura.

Operational Update

* Effective January 7, 2003, APHIS imposed a federal quarantine that regulates the interstate movement of all species of birds and poultry products from Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties, CA.

* Effective January 17, 2003, APHIS imposed a federal quarantine that regulates the interstate movement of all species of birds and poultry products from Clark County and a portion of Nye County, NV.

* * Effective February 10, 2003, APHIS imposed a federal quarantine that regulates the interstate movement of all species of birds and poultry products from all of La Paz and Yuma Counties and a portion of Mohave County, AZ.

* USDA has declared an extraordinary emergency for the States of Arizona, California, and Nevada. These declarations allow USDA to apply federal authority within Arizona, California, and Nevada.

* * Of the 1,844 premises designated for depopulation, 85.5% have been completed.

* Once affected premises are identified and birds humanely depopulated, affected areas are being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Landfills, composting, and rendering are being used for safe disposal of affected birds and materials.

* Task Force personnel are conducting a door-to-door campaign to identify affected premises. Epidemiology investigations are ongoing. Entities that sell birds continue to be monitored in affected areas. If a flock tests positive, officials will quarantine the premises immediately and order the destruction of the flock as soon as it is logistically possible.

* Task Force personnel, in close collaboration with the California State Highway Patrol, are exploring the possibility of establishing inspection stations on Interstate 5. Personnel are also discussing border control and voluntary compliance issues.

* APHIS is developing a plan to enhance national END surveillance. This plan will enhance the already extensive surveillance underway in Arizona, California, and Nevada.

* CDFA's Division of Fairs and Expositions has issued an official recommendation that the California Fairs Board adopt a local policy to suspend all poultry shows for the 2003 fair season.

Outreach Activities

* * Task Force information personnel sent Power Point presentations on biosecurity for commercial and backyard premises to all Incident Command Posts (ICP).

* Task Force information personnel are sending information material to the Central Valley ICP for use in surveillance. In addition, a public information officer has been identified for assignment to the Central Valley ICP.

* Task Force information personnel coordinated a joint press release with an Indian Tribe to announce the newly designated infected backyard premises in Arizona. Since the announcement, the information staff has received over 20 media calls related to the newly designated infected premises in the State.

* Public information staff provided liaison work for the Task Force with the Garden Grove Police Department in anticipation of Area Command's and the South Coast ICP's move later this month to a new facility.

* Presently, the public information staff has nine public meetings scheduled between now and March 10, 2003. This is exclusive of meetings scheduled with bird clubs and other industry associations.

* Task Force information personnel are designing and preparing for distribution a door-hanger/information envelope for use by field crews at individual residences in affected areas.

* Power Point presentations designed to help inform the public about END have been revised and distributed to all ICP's.

* On a daily basis, Task Force public information personnel are communicating information concerning surveillance, depopulation, and cleaning and disinfection operations to all affected city managers in Southern California.

* Currently, Task Force information personnel field approximately 450 calls per week from the public. This is a twenty-fold increase from the number of calls from early October 2002. On average, approximately 300 of these calls require follow-up action by the ICP's.

* The Task Force information staff provides daily updates to approximately 35 media outlets in California. In Area Command alone, Task Force public information personnel handle an average of 70 media calls per week.

Definitions

Emergency Management Issue is for information with no impact on APHIS.
Emergency Management Notice is an ongoing incident with potential impact on APHIS.
Emergency Management Warning is an ongoing incident with almost certain impact on APHIS.