NEWCASTLE DISEASE, GAME FOWL, POULTRY - USA (WEST)(05)
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: 3 Mar 2003
From: Thomas E. Walton <thomas.e.walton@usda.gov>
Source: Official APHIS release [edited]


Subject: Emergency Management Warning 51: 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 1 Oct 2002, in the 
State of California, and has now spread beyond backyard flocks to 
affect 17 commercial operations in California. On 16 Jan 2003, END 
was also confirmed in a backyard flock in the State of Nevada.  A 
backyard flock was confirmed with END on 4 Feb 2003, in the State of 
Arizona.

Clinical signs in infected birds include respiratory, nervous, and 
gastrointestinal signs.  Mortality is up to 90 percent of exposed 
birds. Investigations are ongoing and all figures are pending final 
validation. Veterinary Services 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 has 
developed a plan for nation END surveillance.  This plan will enhance 
the already extensive surveillance underway.

* Situation Update (as of 5:00 p.m. PST, 2 Mar 2003)

Arizona / California / Nevada / Grand Total
* Number of premises positive
1 (no change from 2/28) / * 744 (up 23 from 2/28) / 9 (no change from 
2/28) / * 754 (up 23 from 2/28)
* Number of contact premises
3 (no change from 2/28) / * 1484 (up 53 from 2/28) / 126 (no change 
from 2/28) / * 1613 (up 110 from 2/28)

* Number of premises depopulated        4 / * 1915 / 135 / *2054
* Premises waiting to be depopulated    0 / * 296 / 0 / *296
* Birds depopulated to date  239 / * 3 114 898 / 2563 / *3 117 700

Counties with positive flocks   La Paz  Los Angeles, Riverside, 
Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura Clark

Operational Update

Effective 7 Jan 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 17 Jan 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 10 Feb 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.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (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.

Currently there are 17 commercial flocks in the State of California 
affected by END.  The breakdown of the commercial premises involved 
is as follows:  4 premises in Riverside County (3 infected and 1 
contact), 5 counties in San Diego County (5 infected), and 8 premises 
in San Bernardino County (8 infected).

* Of the 2367 premises designated for depopulation, 86.8 percent have 
been completed.

* Today, in conjunction with the outreach efforts of the Central 
California Command post, Stanislaus County personnel will begin END 
surveillance efforts.  This cooperative approach was finalized in an 
agreement signed by Task Force and County officials last week. 
Similar agreements with approximately 15 other counties in that 
region should soon follow.

* The California Department of Fish and Game is in the process of 
providing educational material about END to State hunting license 
vendors for distribution in their establishments.  The Department is 
also hosting a Turkey Hunting Expo this weekend and plans to 
distribute information about the disease to attendees.  Additionally, 
on 8 Mar 2003, the officials from the Department will be distributing 
END information to participants attending a wildlife rehabilitation 
seminar in Santa Barbara.  A representative from the Department 
serves as an Agency Representative to Area Command.

The Central Valley Incident Command Post in Modesto, CA, is staffed 
and working cooperatively with approximately 15 ) 20 county officials 
to implement efficient surveillance measures throughout the Central 
Valley.

The Agriculture Multi-Agency Coordination (AgMAC) Group met on 26 Feb 
2003, to discuss the END situation, resource availability, State 
personnel legislation, and future personnel needs.  The AgMAC is 
scheduled to have a follow-up meeting 5 Feb 2003, and will meet 
weekly to address issues as they emerge.

3 Veterinarians from the Mexican State of Baja California arrived for 
duty with the Task Force.  The veterinarians are part of an 8-member 
volunteer unit, ad they will be stationed at the Inland Desert 
Incident Command Post (ICP).

An expert panel on poultry diseases visited the Inland Desert ICP, 
the South Coast ICP, and the San Bernardino laboratory locations to 
discuss testing, permitting, risk assessment, and industry 
relationships.  Members of the group include representatives from the 
Agriculture Research Service, University of Pennsylvania School of 
Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, and the University of 
California at Davis.

Task Force personnel, in close collaboration with the California 
State Highway Patrol, have agreed to establish an inspection station 
at the commercial truck weighing station on Interstate 5 at Castaic. 
Personnel will perform visual inspections of commercial vehicles that 
contain birds or poultry.  Further, California State Highway Patrol 
officers will remain alert for commercial poultry vehicles they see 
in and around quarantine zones and those officers will notify the 
Task Force with any information pertinent to the Task Force mission. 
The Public Information Office plans to issue a press release 
regarding the Castaic inspection station.

Outreach Activities

* This week, Task Force personnel from the Las Vegas Incident Command 
Post met with officials from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Las 
Vegas.  Chamber of Commerce officials plan to assist the Task Force 
mission by distributing END educational materials at Hispanic grocery 
stores.

* Task Force personnel at the South Coast Incident Command Post have 
begun distributing END educational materials in the utility bills of 
residents who live in areas highly affected by the virus.

* 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 through the Joint Information Center 
phone bank.  This is a 20-fold increase from the number of calls from 
early October 2002.  On average, approximately 300 of these calls 
require follow-up action by the Inland Desert or South Coast Incident 
Command Posts.

* The Task Force information staff provides daily updates to 
approximately 35 media outlets in California.  In addition, in Area 
Command alone, the information staff fields approximately 70 media 
calls per week.

The following link is to the State of California's END website.
<http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/ah/Newcastle_info.htm>

The following link is to the State of Nevada's END website.
<http://www.agri.state.nv.us/END.htm>

The following link is to the State of Arizona's END website.
<http://agriculture.state.az.us/newcastle.htm>

Please forward this information to your federal, State, and industry 
counterparts as necessary.

If you have any questions about this situation, please feel free to 
call USDA, APHIS, VS, Emergency Programs at 800-940-6524, 
301-734-8073, or e-mail at EMOC@APHIS.USDA.GOV.

-----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

--
Thomas E. Walton


[see also:
Newcastle Disease, game fowl, plty - USA (West)(04) 20030302.0523
Newcastle disease, game fowl, plty. - USA (west)(03) 20030222.0463
Newcastle disease, game fowl, plty. - USA (west)(02) 20030211.0372
Newcastle disease, game fowl, plty. - USA (west)      20030206.0318]
.......................tg/pg/lm
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