The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reports that the exotic Newcastle disease (END) situation in California is winding down. As of July 3, 2003, the number of positive backyard premises reached zero, and the number of positive commercial premises dropped to six. The number of backyard contact premises was at four and the number of commercial contact premises dropped to zero. No new cases have been detected since May 31, 2003. As a result of the improved disease situation, APHIS concluded its activities at its Central California Incident Command Post on June 20. No evidence of the disease had been found north of the state’s Tehachapi Mountains. Command posts in Nevada and Arizona, where END was diagnosed in Feburary, closed in mid-May and the Texas post closed in early June.
Since END was diagnosed in backyard poultry flocks in southern California on October 1, 2002, and in commercial poultry on December 21, 2002, 3.9 million birds have been depopulated with 18,421 premises quarantined in the state. Positive premises totaled 920, with 2,507 premises depopulated, 22 of these being commercial poultry facilities.
In Nevada, 2,746 birds were depopulated, positive premises totaled 10, with 147 premises depopulated. In Arizona, END was detected in a backyard flock resulting in 269 birds being depopulated on six premises. In Texas, 1,871 birds were depopulated after END was detected in a flock in early April. Forty-one premises were depopulated.
More information on the END situation can be obtained on the Internet at www.aphis.usda.gov, or at www.cdfa.ca.gov.
August 2003 Render