USDA amends quarantine rules for Exotic Newcastle Disease

These changes include harmonising foreign and domestic regulations regarding the movement of dressed carcasses of dead birds and dead poultry; adding restrictions on the interstate movement of ratites out of quarantined areas; adding an option for the movement of pet birds; providing for the use of alternative procedures for treating manure and litter for composting; and adding an additional surveillance period prior to removing quarantine restrictions.

APHIS has determined that these changes are necessary based on experiences during the eradication programmes for the outbreaks of END in California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas in 2002 and 2003. This final rule will help ensure that if an END outbreak occurs again, the disease can be eradicated within future quarantine areas and disease spread can be prevented.

APHIS says that END is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease that affects all species of birds, affecting the respiratory, nervous and digestive systems of birds, and many birds die before demonstrating any clinical signs of the disease.