NEWCASTLE DISEASE, GAME BIRDS - USA (ARIZONA): OIE
**************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org/>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org/>

Date: 7 Feb 2003
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Office International des Epizooties (OIE) [edited]
<http://www.oie.int/eng/info/hebdo/AIS_33.HTM>


Information received on 6 Feb 2003 from Dr Peter Fernandez, associate 
administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), United 
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Washington, DC: report date: 5 Feb 
2003.

Nature of diagnosis: clinical, postmortem, and laboratory.
Date of initial detection of animal health incident: 4 Feb 2003.
Estimated date of first infection: 13 Jan 2003.

Outbreaks:
Location: La Paz County, State of Arizona; No. of outbreaks: 1
Description of affected population: Newcastle disease has been confirmed in 
a backyard flock consisting of 50 birds. No commercial poultry is affected.

Total number of animals in the outbreak:
species / susceptible / cases / deaths / destroyed / slaughtered
avi / about 250 / .. / about 10 / about 50 / 0

Diagnosis:
Diagnosis was made at National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, 
Iowa, using virus isolation. Causal agent: the avian paramyxovirus-1 
isolate has a fusion cleavage site sequence consistent with that of exotic 
Newcastle disease virus. The sequence is RRQKR/FVGAII.

Epidemiology:
Source of agent / origin of infection: unknown. An evaluation of bird, 
people and fomite movement is ongoing. The nucleotide sequence of the 
Arizona isolate has 100 per cent homology through 185 bases at the fusion 
cleavage site with the California Newcastle disease virus (OIE Disease 
Information 2002; 15(40): 194, 4 Oct et seq), which would indicate that the 
Arizona and California isolates are identical.

Mode of spread: direct contact, fomites.

Control measures:
- Quarantine of affected backyard premises. APHIS is currently developing a 
federal quarantine for the affected area in Arizona.
- There is one contact premises that is under quarantine and is scheduled 
to be depopulated.
- Depopulation of affected/exposed game fowl.
- Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of 
spread. APHIS and the State of Arizona have increased active surveillance 
of the backyard bird population and have established a Task Force in Arizona.

Note from the OIE Central Bureau: Since this is the first occurrence -- 
within the context of this epizootic -- of Newcastle disease in Arizona, 
the OIE Central Bureau has decided to publish the above emergency report 
despite our previous note (Disease Information 2003; 16(4): 24, 24 Jan ) to 
the effect that no further cases of Newcastle disease in the United States 
of America reported to the OIE within the context of this epizootic would 
be notified in Disease Information.

-- 
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[see also:
Newcastle disease, game fowl, plty. - USA (west)       20030206.0318
Newcastle disease, game fowl, plty. - USA (CA,NV) (02) 20030204.0304
Newcastle disease, poultry - USA (AZ): suspected       20030202.0289
Newcastle disease, game fowl, poultry - USA: control   20030129.0260
Newcastle disease, U.S. poultry ban extended - Mexico  20030127.0247
Newcastle disease, game fowl, poultry - USA (CA, NV)   20030127.0246
Newcastle disease, game birds - USA (NV) (02)          20030126.0237
Newcastle disease, game birds, poultry - USA (CA) (05) 20030117.0145
Newcastle disease, game birds - USA (NV)               20030117.0138]

.................pc/pg/sh

*##########################################################*
ProMED-mail makes every effort to  verify  the reports  that
are  posted,  but  the  accuracy  and  completeness  of  the
information,   and  of  any  statements  or  opinions  based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by  ProMED-mail.   ISID
and  its  associated  service  providers  shall not be  held
responsible for errors or omissions or  held liable for  any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon  posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org/>.
Send  all  items  for   posting  to:   promed@promedmail.org
(NOT to  an  individual moderator).  If you do not give your
full name and  affiliation, it  may  not  be  posted.   Send
commands  to  subscribe/unsubscribe,   get  archives,  help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org.    For assistance  from a
human  being  send mail to:  owner-majordomo@promedmail.org.
############################################################
############################################################