An often fatal avian disease has made its way to the U.S. for the first time since 2003, and the Colorado state veterinarian is warning bird owners to keep an eye on their flocks for symptoms.
Virulent Newcastle disease, or vND, is a virus that affects the respiratory, nervous and digestive systems of domestic poultry and wild birds, according to a news release from Colorado State University.
It is spread by direct contact with the droppings or respiratory discharges of infected birds, and can live for an extended period in the environment, making it highly contagious.
According to the release, vND does not affect food safety. No one has ever been diagnosed with the disease after eating poultry products that were properly cooked.
However, people who work directly with infected birds can suffer mild symptoms that include conjunctivitis, or pink eye.
The disease hasn’t been found in commercial poultry in the U.S. since 2003, but it recently was discovered in backyard chickens in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties in California, according to the release.
The last known case of vND was found June 5 in San Bernardino County in backyard chickens, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is tracking the disease.
The virus typically does not occur in the U.S., but in California in late 2002, the disease spread due to illegally imported flocks of game fowl. Approximately 3.5 million birds at more than 2,100 sites were affected, and it took more than a year and $180 million to eradicate the virus, according to the release.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture tests flocks, imported pet and game birds, and migratory water birds as part of a surveillance program for vND and other contagious disease, like the avian flu.
The disease almost always is fatal, and many birds die suddenly before showing any symptoms. Symptoms, if shown, include sneezing, gasping, droopy wings, walking in circles, thin-shelled eggs, swelling of tissues around the eyes and in the neck, and greenish, watery diarrhea.
Madeline St. Amour: 303-684-5212, mstamour@prairiemountainmedia.com
