Texas animal health officials are urging poultry, fowl and game bird owners to check their flocks and report signs of illness among birds after Exotic Newcastle Disease (END), a highly contagious virus among birds, was
confirmed October 1 near Los Angeles, California. While END poses no
threat to human health, some strains of the virus can kill nearly 100 percent of affected birds.

"California's disease investigation was initiated in late September after nearly 200 game birds died on a premise near Los Angeles," said Dr. Max Coats, assistant deputy director for Animal Health Programs at the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), the state's livestock health regulatory agency. "The National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, has completed tests on samples collected from the birds and confirmed the Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) diagnosis. As of Thursday, October 3, six California premises are involved in the poultry disease situation, and infected flocks are being depopulated to prevent spread of END. Fortunately, none of the affected premises are near commercial poultry operations, and regulatory veterinarians from California and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) say there is no indication of additional infected farms."

Dr. Coats pointed out that a wide variety of pet and wild birds can carry END. He urged flock owners to check birds and report signs of illness to the TAHC at 1-800-550-8242. TAHC or USDA veterinarians can work with private practitioners at no charge to collect samples for testing. Signs to watch for include:
* birds that gasp and cough
* birds that exhibit central nervous system disorders,
such as circling, depression, paralysis, drooping wings
or dragging legs
* birds that produce fewer eggs
* birds that have greenish diarrhea
* birds that develop swelling of tissues around the eyes and neck
* unusually high death losses in the flock

Dr. Coats said laboratory testing is needed to confirm a clinical diagnosis of the Newcastle Disease, as signs can also mimic those of other poultry diseases. In Texas, tests can be run by staff in the poultry diagnostic laboratories in Center and Gonzales. These are part of the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory system, headquartered in College Station.

Carrier birds can spread the virus through respiratory discharges or feces. Caretakers can also become mechanical carriers of the disease, as the virus can be picked up and carried on shoes and clothing, feed trucks or equipment. In warm, humid weather, the virus can survive several weeks; in cold temperatures, it can remain alive indefinitely. Viral disinfectants, dry weather and sunlight kill the virus.

"This is a good time to step up biosecurity practices on farms and ranches. Routine measures should include disinfecting footwear prior to entering or leaving a poultry facility, wearing disposable coveralls, or at least putting on clean clothes prior to entering a poultry site," said Dicky Richardson, a TAHC animal health programs specialist who works with poultry disease. "We require our staff also to wear disposable hair covers and gloves as added protection against disease transmission. Producers should consider disinfecting tires on vehicles, bagging dirty clothing prior to leaving a premise, and monitoring visitors, including feed providers, service personnel and poultry buyers to ensure they are following disinfecting procedures. Anyone in contact with backyard poultry or game bird flocks should shower and change their clothes before coming into contact with commercial poultry."

Richardson said producers who visit a feed store, a neighbor's farm, coffee shop or grocery store should change their clothes and disinfect footwear before returning to their poultry houses. "It's just too easy to get clothing or footwear contaminated with a disease-causing virus and then carry it home," he said.

"If END is introduced into an area, it is critically important to address the outbreak immediately with depopulation of infected flocks, strict quarantines in affected areas and surveillance in neighboring areas," said Dr. Coats. He said an outbreak in southern California in 1971 resulted in the depopulation of nearly 12 million birds on 1,341 farms. That outbreak, which cost taxpayers $56 million, took three years to eradicate, and disrupted poultry production and trade, and impacted prices of poultry products.

"By reporting signs of disease immediately, the effects of outbreaks can be minimized," said Dr. Coats. "We depend on the partnership of producers, veterinary practitioners, the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory and the public to keep livestock and poultry free of disease and to maintain our trading opportunities."