# Exotic Newcastle Disease E.n.d



## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

Received this from another mailing group, sharing the content as obtained, have checked the links. 

*To all members of the 395 Concourse,

I just received extremily urget news from our AU representative, this was forwarded to him from the AU home office. Forward this information to all of your membership ASAP so they are aware of the situation. Lets hope the task force does not determine that the outbreak is headed north from Mexico into the USA.

The following information was just released on the California Food and Agriculture website:

ALERT: EXOTIC NEWCASTLE DISEASE IN MEXICO
Mexico recently reported a case of Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The affected flock located just south of the U.S. border in Tijuana was depopulated. USDA is interacting with Mexico to further assess the current situation. The OIE report is on http://web.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=10244 

END is a contagious and fatal viral disease affecting all species of birds. Considered one of the most infectious diseases of poultry in the world, END is so virulent a death rate of almost 100 percent can occur and many birds die without showing any clinical signs. As END remains endemic (native to or prevalent) in Mexico, this case finding in Mexico and OIE report serve as a good reminder that foreign animal diseases, such as END or Avian Influenza, may be introduced into California at any time. Use of biosecurity practices is important to protect your birds from exposure to diseases. 

To report sick birds, call the toll free State Bird Hotline: 866-922-2473.

Veterinarians and bird owners are encouraged to immediately submit sick birds to the California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) Laboratory System for diagnosis to assist us with rapid surveillance for foreign animal diseases. Poultry from small flock and backyard owners may be submitted to CAHFS at no charge. Early reporting and submitting of sick birds to the laboratory will assist in early diagnosis and help prevent a major END outbreak such as that experienced in 2002-03.

For additional information on END, please go to the USDA website at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/birdbiosecurity/end/

For additional information on laboratory submissions please go to the CAHFS website at http://www.cahfs.ucdavis.edu/

Contact information for all of our laboratories may be found at http://www.cahfs.ucdavis.edu/contact/index.cfm. Please contact us at any time for additional information.

Historical review of 2002-2003 outbreak:

The 2002-03 END outbreak, originally confirmed in backyard poultry in the Good Hope Area of Southern California, spread to commercial poultry operations in California and backyard poultry in Arizona, Nevada and Texas. The Governor of California declared a State of Emergency, the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared an Extraordinary Emergency, and local emergencies were declared in San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties. A USDA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Task Force was formed that involved over 7,000 individuals rotating in and out over the course of the outbreak. Trade restrictions resulting from the disease had negative impacts on California and U.S. poultry and egg producers. The outbreak, from discovery to eradication, lasted eleven months. The outbreak response led to the depopulation of 3.16 million birds at a cost of $161 million.

At that time the 395 Concourse was severly affected by the END outbreak. Initially all racing was completely stopped, eventually we were allowed to sign wavers (allowing the State task force onto our property) and were allowed to race within the quarantine area only. Several members had their entire flocks decimated by this outbreak. 

Watch your biosecurity and don't allow unknown birds into your lofts and for heavens sake don't allow the mixing of any type of chickens on the same property as your racing pigeons, until the outbreak is confirmed as being isolated only to Mexico. 

Ron Whitmer
395 Concourse President*


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## hankabus (Dec 3, 2009)

*E N D*

Best of luck goes out to the fanciers in Mexico. I hope it can be contained with minumal exposure..

Can anyone tell me what the signs and symptoms are of Exotic Newcastle Disease? How long is the incubation period, and is culling the only treatment?

Hank


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

*What Are the Signs?*
END affects the respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems. The incubation period for the disease ranges from 2 to 15 days. An infected bird may show the following signs: Sneezing, gasping for air, nasal discharge, coughing; Greenish, watery diarrhea; Depression, muscular tremors, drooping wings, twisting of head and neck, circling, complete paralysis; Partial to complete drop in egg production; Production of thin-shelled eggs; Swelling of the tissues around the eyes and in the neck; Sudden death; and Increased deaths in a flock.

*How Does END Spread?*
END is spread mainly through direct contact between healthy birds and the bodily discharges of infected birds. The disease is transmitted through infected birds' droppings and secretions from the nose, mouth, and eyes. END spreads rapidly among birds kept in confinement, such as commercially raised chickens.

Virus-bearing material can be picked up on shoes and clothing and carried from an infected flock to a healthy one. The disease is often spread by vaccination and debeaking crews, manure haulers, rendering truck drivers, feed delivery personnel, poultry buyers, egg service people, and poultry farm owners and employees.

The END virus can survive for several weeks in a warm and humid environment on birds' feathers, manure, and other materials. It can survive indefinitely in frozen material. However, the virus is destroyed rapidly by dehydration and by the ultraviolet rays in sunlight.


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## Keith C. (Jan 25, 2005)

"depopulated" is a very creative way to say killed. 
I of course understand the necessity of it, but don't care for the creative PC terms used to gloss over what was done.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

It was suspected that the END outbreak in California a few years ago was caused by infected fighting cocks that were smuggled from Mexico, so cause for alarm.

Pigeons are resistant to END. In the California outbreak only two pigeons were found to be infected and that is because they were foraging in an affected poultry farm so probably ate food contaminated with infected droppings.

Pigeons with PPMV can cause END in its mildest form (lentogenic) in poultry if their droppings contaminate poultry food. This caused an outbreak in Scotland where thousands of chickens had to be slaughtered and disposed of. Over here we just refer to it as Newcastles Disease, because this is where it originated so it is not "exotic" to us.

It is not the depopulation of infected poultry flocks that is frightening, it is the killing of birds within a specified radius of the infected flocks in order to eradicate the disease. Foot and Mouth Disease has that effect in the UK.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

* Well I live in Southern California and it seem that no one that I know has heard anything about END in Mexico, and its odd that tyhese reports are comming from outside of the mainland USA. People in my area fly with the 395 combine and I am sure they would know. I don't know who might be sending these e-mails out I would hope that those that got the e-mail know who sent it . * GEORGE


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> Well I live in Southern California and it seem that no one that I know has heard anything about END in Mexico, and its odd that tyhese reports are comming from outside of the mainland USA. People in my area fly with the 395 combine and I am sure they would know. I don't know who might be sending these e-mails out I would hope that those that got the e-mail know who sent it . GEORGE


You would be wise to take this seriously, George. There is a lot about it when you *google in Spanish*, apparently there has been an official announcement in Mexico. The "depopulated " birds were fighting cocks and there is mention that the infection could have come from the US.


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## A_Smith (Aug 8, 2006)

I don't see anything posted on the AU or IF website yet.


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

This is a very serious and important topic. It should not be taken lightly by any one.

The memory of what happened here in Nevada back in 2002/2003 is fresh in my mind......Every night on the news there were reports of people's pets being killed by the government agencies........there was no testing.......no appeals to the court orders. Senseless killing of uninfected birds. It was animal cruely taken to new heights by our Government. It went on for months and months.

The disease scares me, but what the Government might do in response to it frightens me even more..............Just think of the recent events of the poisioning of all the blackbird by the government.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

So far the reports here in Mexico state the out brake in only on one farm and that they expect that they have controled or contained it so far. The repots state they are working with the U S on controling and spread and fell the risk of spread is slim at this time.


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## piegonsrock (Aug 14, 2009)

i Posted this on a chicken fourm so they can take precautions as well


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

Feefo said:


> You would be wise to take this seriously, George. There is a lot about it when you *google in Spanish*, apparently there has been an official announcement in Mexico. The "depopulated " birds were fighting cocks and there is mention that the infection could have come from the US.


* Hi Feelo, I do take thimgs seriously, thats why I don't have strangers visit my loft,as they can carry the ENS virus on their cloths,as well other infections. Earlier today I check the AU web site and found nothing about this on their web site, and all those that are reporting this seem to have gotten an E-mail from someone from the AU* GEORGE


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## PigeonVilla (Dec 8, 2010)

Reading about this stuff always makes me cringe since they like to use the eradication method for most of their containment overall in the world of birds and animals .


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

george simon said:


> * Hi Feelo, I do take thimgs seriously, thats why I don't have strangers visit my loft,as they can carry the ENS virus on their cloths,as well other infections. Earlier today I check the AU web site and found nothing about this on their web site, and all those that are reporting this seem to have gotten an E-mail from someone from the AU* GEORGE


Hi George .. the e-mail that I posted here in this thread came from Ron Whitmer of the 395 Concourse. In it, he states that he got the info from the AU. I verified the info meaning that I made sure the finding of END was for real before I posted.

Terry


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## bigislerollers (Jan 20, 2008)

Here is a link to the California Department of Food and Agriculture regarding this outbreak.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/AHFSS/Animal_Health/


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

Our AU representative notified our combine officially about this today (Saturday).


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

http://web.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=10244 

Here is a copy of the official report that has been filed. Over 10,000 bird have already been culled.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

lwerden said:


> http://web.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=10244
> 
> Here is a copy of the official report that has been filed. Over 10,000 bird have already been culled.


This is the same report me are hearing here in Baja Sur. The repot here states that they fell it will be controled to this one property.


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

I pray that they have this contained. If even one case shows up on this side of the boarder I hate to think of what our government will do.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I agree Louise. I know we're all praying for the same thing.


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

Yea. Next thing you know, there will be thousands of birds dropping dead out of the sky.

Oops. Guess that has already occurred.


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## lawman (Jul 19, 2005)

TAWhatley said:


> Hi George .. the e-mail that I posted here in this thread came from Ron Whitmer of the 395 Concourse. In it, he states that he got the info from the AU. I verified the info meaning that I made sure the finding of END was for real before I posted.
> 
> Terry


Well it has been a long time since I posted on this site, but current thread is to important to remain quite.

George I don't know who your friends are in the 395 Concourse or If you are yourself actualy a member. But rest assured that I verified the information about the recent Exotic Newcastle Disease (end) outbreak prior to sending the information out to the member clubs of the 395. Now if your friends or club chose not to pass on the information..... well shame on them!

What has been posted on this site while acurate is only a portion of the email I sent out to all the member clubs. In the original version (since I knew some would not believe or would more likely just hide their heads in the sand like a very large Auzzie bird) I left the links showing that the AU southwest zone rep was who sent the notice to me and it also showed who from the AU home office sent it to him. 

I believe that it was one of the moderators that linked up the AHFSS notification (thats the California food and Agriculture site) with the alert regarding the end outbreak in Mexico. So believe like you've never believed before my friend. I remember all to well the last outbreak of (END) and have no desire to deal with it again. However like all things if we don't learn from the past we are doomed to repeat it and I have no doubt that if it returns to southern california it will primarily be due to illegally transporting gaming birds across the border (just like before).

So like I said; Watch your biosecurity and don't allow unknown birds into your lofts and for heavens sake don't allow the mixing of any type of chickens on the same property as your racing pigeons, until the outbreak is confirmed as being isolated only to Mexico. 

Ron


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## hankabus (Dec 3, 2009)

*Pmv*

ok so, I have been reading and trying to learn about E.N.D. and just about everything I have read says the symptoms and signs appear almost the same as PMV. I am wondering are they analyzing blood samples to make sure it is E.N.D.?? It sounds to me that Newcastles and PMV are closely related? Or am I out to lunch and misunderstanding this.

Hank


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## lawman (Jul 19, 2005)

Ok here is the short of it-

PMV infection is viral disease of domestic pigeons. The virus is classified as a paramyxovirus-1 (PMV-1). There are several other paramyxoviruses that cause disease in other species of birds. For instance, PMV-2 was recovered from chickens, PMV-3 from turkeys, PMV-4 from ducks, PMV-5 from budgerigars, PMV-6 from ducks, and PMV-7 from a doves. 

Newcastle disease of domestic chickens is also caused by a PMV-1 virus. It was the first paramyxovirus isolated from birds. The virus that causes disease in pigeons is a genetic variant of the virus that causes Newcastle disease in chickens -both are PMV-1 viruses.

Contrary to what you may hear there is no treatment for this disease once it has broke out in your flock. Antibiotics and electrolytes may be used as supportive treatment, but they have absolutely no effect on the virus. 

Exotic Newcastle Disease is the most virulent form of PMV. Think of it like a very fast moving deadly form of cancer with no effective form of treatment. That’s why if there is an outbreak and the state believes it to be exotic Newcastle they cut out the cancer like a surgeon would a tumor in an attempt to keep it from spreading and killing off everything.

Many pigeon fanciers have used killed oil based Newcastle disease vaccines prepared for use in domestic poultry, with apparent success in pigeons. However, these vaccines have not been specifically licensed for use in pigeons and are at beast 70-80 percent effective. 

I used to use the oil based vaccines that were available and they did seem to give some enhanced immunity. The water based vaccines in my opinion are a waist of time, effort and good money.

I say used to use because after the last (END) outbreak, my brother and I (we both fly in the same club and have two different lofts in different location but basically the same family of birds) began a new breeding program. Along with breeding for endurance and speed, we began systematically weeding out any of our birds that showed any signs of weakness. By this I mean susceptibility to any type of diseases, with special attention to anything that affected the respiratory system.

Now that does not mean the birds that were culled did not go to good use as many a newer flier in my club has been given these birds to enhance their own flocks. Most with great success I might add. You see they were not bad birds they just were not overall what we were looking for and got to go to new homes.

Anyway the results have spoken for themselves and I believe will continue to do so. As my sister in law (who flies from my brothers loft, Won the AU 2010 GI Joe Award for the top middle distance loft in old birds) one of the other fliers I mentioned above in my club won the Cher Ami Award for 2009 Young birds.

I have found over the years that some of the best forms of prevention against disease are the simplest and were used long ago by many a fancier to great effect.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Here's a repeat of the California Department of Food and Agriculture page which contains additional informative links about END:

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/newcastle_disease_info.html

Terry


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## catmicky (Sep 6, 2010)

Was it mainly just in california in the previous case?


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

No.........It was also in Nevada, Arizona and Texas.


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## catmicky (Sep 6, 2010)

Ok, is there a chance it could spread to Maryland this time?


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## lawman (Jul 19, 2005)

If you click on the government links and read the articles about (END) you will find that it takes direct contact between an infected bird (of any species) with another bird (also of any species) to pass on the virus. So if you maintain good biosecurity you should be relatively safe regardless of where you live.


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