Exotic Newcastle Disease
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Emergency Management Warning 94:

Exotic Newcastle Disease Confirmed in the United States

Exotic Newcastle disease (END) was confirmed on October 1, 2002, in the State of California, and has spread beyond backyard flocks and has affected 22 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. On April 9, 2003, END was also in backyard fowl in Texas. Clinical signs in infected birds include respiratory, nervous, and gastrointestinal signs. Mortality is up to 90% of exposed birds. Investigations are on-going and all figures are pending final validation. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) personnel and other federal government personnel are working with the States to consider additional resources to meet the labor demands at the Task Forces. APHIS has implemented a plan for enhanced national END surveillance.

Current Statistics

Operations in Progress

	California	Texas	Total
Personnel Assigned	1,058	57	1,115
Premises Currently Quarantined	15,075	496	15,571
Current Positive Premises	355 backyard 17 commercial	1 backyard 0 commercial	356 backyard 17 commercial
Current Contact Premises	313 backyard 1 commercial	0 backyard 0 commercial	313 backyard 1 commercial
Premises Pending Depopulation	18	0	18

	California	Texas	Arizona	Nevada	Total
Total Premises Quarantined	17,668	498	67	155	18,388
Total Premises Released	2,510	2	66	155	2,733
Total Positive Premises	918 (+1)	1 (no change)	1 (no change)	10 (no change)	930 (+1)
Total Premises Depopulated	2,406	38	4	138	2,586
Total Birds Depopulated	3,492,408	2,006	269	2,746	3,497,429
Counties with Currently Positive and/or Contact Premises	Kern Los Angeles Riverside San Bernadino San Diego Ventura	El Paso

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 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.

• Effective May 14, 2003, Mohave and Yuma Counties, AZ, Nye County, NV, and portions of La Paz County, AZ, and Clark County, NV, were removed from the list of quarantined areas because of exotic Newcastle disease.

• Effective April 10, 2003, APHIS imposed a federal quarantine that regulates the interstate movement of all species of birds and poultry products from all of El Paso and Hudspeth Counties, TX, and Dona Ana, Luna, and Otero Counties, NM. The federal quarantine was placed on counties beyond the infected county due to their proximity to the infected county.

• A quarantine was placed on a portion of New Mexico because of its proximity to the infected area in the State of Texas

• Effective May 14, 2003, APHIS imposed a federal quarantine that regulates the interstate movement of all species of birds and poultry products from a portion of Kern County, CA.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared an extraordinary emergency for the States of Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, and New Mexico. These declarations allow USDA to apply federal authority within Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas.

• Effective May 13, 2003, operational activities at the Nevada Incident Command were officially complete and the Command was closed. Dr. David Thain, State Veterinarian for Nevada will handle any remaining inquiries. An Animal Health Technician will remain at the site to conduct truck disinfections.

• Effective May 15, 2003, operational activities at the Arizona Incident Command were officially complete and the Command was closed. Dr. Dee Harris, Area Veterinarian in Charge will handle any remaining inquiries.

• The South Coast Incident Command Post and the Inland Desert Incident Command Post are finalizing plans to merge all operational activities into the South Coast location in Garden Grove. Check-in, training, and orientation functions have already successfully merged into the Garden Grove location.

• DNA sequencing analysis confirms that the Texas END outbreak was caused by a separate introduction of virus and not by movement of virus from the affected areas in California, Nevada, or Arizona. Intensified surveillance in El Paso County, TX, and the surrounding areas has yielded no further positive cases, suggesting that our early detection and swift response has worked well to contain and eliminate this outbreak.

• From May 19 – 29, 2003, APHIS in Riverdale, MD, and the END Task Force Area Command in California are hosting a group of visitors from the European Commission. Area command will also host representatives from the Colorado River Indian Tribe who will participate in a presentation to the Commission. Aside from visiting Area Command, the Commission will visit the Incident Commands at South Coast, Inland Desert, Las Vegas, and El Paso, as well as the Iowa Area Office. The group began and will end their visit at the APHIS Emergency Operations Center in Riverdale, MD.

Outreach Activities

• In conjunction with the Task Force, the Texas Animal Health Commission in Austin continues to send out information packets to stakeholder organizations; most recently, the commission has mailed materials to feed stores, veterinary clinics and pet stores.

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.