NEWCASTLE DISEASE, GAME FOWL, POULTRY - USA (WEST) 
(06)
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org/>

Date: 10 Mar 2003
From: Thomas E. Walton <thomas.e.walton@usda.gov>
Source: Official APHIS release [edited]


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. 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 developed a plan for 
national END surveillance.  This plan will enhance the already 
extensive surveillance underway.

* Situation Update (as of 5:00 p.m. PST, 9 Mar 2003)
Arizona / California / Nevada / Grand Total
Number of premises positive:
1 (no change from 3/7) / * 800 (up 31 from 3/7) / 10 (no change 
from 3/7) / * 811 (up 31 from 3/7) Number of contact premises: 3 
(no change from 3/7) / * 1505 (down 11 from 3/7) / 128 (no change 
from 3/7) / *1636 (down 11 from 3/7)

Number of premises depopulated:    4 / * 2110  / 138 / * 2252
Premises waiting to be depopulated:   0 / * 195 / 0 / * 195
Birds depopulated to date:  239 / * 3 121 628 / * 2597 / *3 124 464

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 2447 premises designated for depopulation, 92.0 percent 
have been completed.

In conjunction with the outreach efforts of the Central California 
Command post, Stanislaus County personnel have begun 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 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 5 
Mar 2003, to discuss the END situation, resource availability, State 
personnel legislation, and future personnel needs.  The AgMAC is 
scheduled to have follow-up meetings weekly to address these 
issues and any additional issues as they emerge.

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.

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
<thomas.e.walton@usda.gov>

[see also:
Newcastle disease, game fowl, plty. - USA(West)(05)20030309.0579
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/jw
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