Newcastle Disease

• 1. What Newcastle Disease is
• 2. How Newcastle Disease Spreads
• 3. Signs and Symptoms of Newcastle Disease
• 4. What to do if you suspect your Flock has been infected
• 5. Protecting your Flock from Newcastle Disease

• 6. Vaccination against Newcastle Disease
• 7. Registering your Birds
• 8. The Current Status of Newcastle Disease in Ireland
• 9. How Newcastle Disease Affects Humans

What Newcastle Disease is

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious and often severe disease that affects birds including domestic poultry and other bird species, including pet, zoo and wild birds. It is caused by virulent strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1(APMV-1) of the genus Avulavirus belonging to the family Paramyxoviridae. The disease can appear in several forms, ranging from mild to virulent. The disease is characterised by respiratory and/or nervous signs, partial or complete cessation of egg production or misshapen eggs, greenish watery diarrhoea and oedema (swelling caused by build-up of fluid) of the tissues around the eyes and the neck. ND, in its highly virulent form, is a WOAH listed (Notifiable) disease and suspicions of presence of the disease must be reported to DAFM. ND can present a clinical picture very similar to avian influenza, so laboratory testing is important to confirm the diagnosis.

How Newcastle Disease Spreads

ND is transmitted most often by direct contact with diseased or carrier birds. Infected birds may shed the virus in their faeces, contaminating the environment. Transmission can then occur by direct contact with faeces and respiratory discharges or by contaminated food, water, equipment, and clothing. Newcastle Disease viruses can survive for several weeks in the environment, especially in cool weather.

Generally, virus is shed during the incubation period and for a short time during recovery. The incubation period is 2-15 days with an average of 5-6 days. Birds in the pigeon family can shed the virus intermittently for a year or more. Other wild birds such as cormorants have also been shown to have caused outbreaks in domestic poultry.

The virus is present in all parts of the carcass of an infected bird.

The disease is very contagious. When the virus is introduced into a susceptible flock, virtually all the birds may be infected within two to six days.

Good biosecurity is essential for the prevention of Newcastle Disease in poultry and captive birds.

Signs and Symptoms of Newcastle Disease

The clinical signs vary widely and are dependent on factors such as: the strain of the virus, the species of bird infected, the age of the host, (young birds are the most susceptible), concurrent infection with other organisms, environmental stress and immune status. In some circumstances infection with the extremely virulent virus strains can result in high numbers of birds found dead with comparatively few clinical signs. The disease has a rapid onset with symptoms appearing between two and twelve days after exposure, and can spread rapidly through the flock.

Some virus strains attack the nervous system, others the respiratory, or digestive systems. Clinical signs include:

• respiratory signs - gasping, coughing, sneezing and rales

• nervous signs - tremors, paralyzed wings and legs, twisted necks, circling, spasms, and paralysis

• digestive signs

• diarrhoea

• a partial or complete drop in egg production may occur. Eggs may be abnormal in colour, shape, or surface, and have watery albumen

• mortality is variable but can be as high as 100%.

Many strains remain asymptomatic or cause milder signs, but sometimes they can evolve into highly virulent strains.

For further information on Newcastle Disease please see link below:

Newcastle disease - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health

What to do if you suspect your Flock has been infected

Newcastle Disease is a notifiable disease. If you have any concern that your flock has Newcastle Disease, take immediate action. House or confine the birds away from other birds immediately and report the suspect case to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Contact your local Regional Veterinary Office (RVO) .

Outside of office hours, you can ring the National Disease Emergency Hotline on 01 492 8026 (which is operational 365 days of the year) to report a suspect case.

Protecting your Flock from Newcastle Disease

Biosecurity is the combination of all measures, whether physical or through management, taken to reduce the risk of disease introduction to your flock and reduce the spread of disease between your birds and to other birds.

DAFM advises that all owners of poultry and captive birds should adopt strict biosecurity standards at all times, as outlined in the biosecurity guidance documents below in order to help protect their flocks against disease, including Newcastle Disease and avian influenza.

Strict biosecurity standards help to protect your flock against all poultry disease, not just Newcastle Disease.

However, flock owners must remain vigilant as there is the possibility of the virus being present in the environment or being transmitted to their flock by wild birds.

General Biosecurity Advice Documents for Poultry

Biosecurity Information for Poultry Flock Owners

Updated biosecurity information for Poultry Flock Owners is detailed in the Biosecurity Code of Practice for Poultry available on the Animal Health & Welfare Biosecurity page here .

Vaccination against Newcastle Disease

You can protect your flock against Newcastle disease by vaccination. DAFM recommends that all laying birds are vaccinated against Newcastle disease. Broilers and other fattening birds may also be vaccinated, depending on the disease situation that prevails. Your veterinary practitioner will be able to advise you on this.

Registering your Birds

Anyone who keeps poultry in Ireland (even 1 or 2 birds) must register their premises with the Department of Agriculture. This is a legal requirement under S.I. No. 114/2014 (Control on places where poultry are kept Regulations 2014).

Registering your premises and flock details is important, as it enables DAFM to contact you, where necessary, with information on poultry health and welfare in the event of a disease threat such as avian influenza or Newcastle Disease.

More information on general registration of poultry premises can be found at: Poultry Register

The Current Status of Newcastle Disease in Ireland

Infection with Newcastle disease virus is absent in poultry in Ireland. The last known case of the disease in Ireland was in 1997.

How Newcastle Disease Affects Humans

Newcastle disease is a minor zoonosis (disease of animals that can also infect humans) and can cause conjunctivitis in humans, but the condition is generally very mild and self-limiting.

Occasional human ND associated disease (conjunctivitis, pneumonia) has been reported in humans after exposure to large quantities of virus.

The disease poses no food safety risk to consumers of well-cooked poultry products, including eggs.

General advice from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine is that people do not pick up or touch sick, dead or dying birds and keep their pets away from them. Dogs should be kept on a lead in areas where sick or dead wild birds are present.