Defra, UK - Disease surveillance and control - Notifiable diseases

Disease factsheet: Newcastle disease

If you suspect signs of any notifiable disease, you must immediately notify a Defra Divisional Veterinary Manager.

Introduction
Clinical signs
Post-mortem
Legislation
Disease Control Strategy
Vaccination
Contingency planning
Outbreak management
Photos of clinical signs

Introduction

Newcastle disease is a highly contagious disease of birds caused by pathogenic strains of Avian Paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1), occasionally virulent strains of Paramyxovirus of pigeon (APMV1) can infect poultry causing Newcastle Disease. Birds affected by this disease include fowls, turkeys, geese, ducks, pheasants, guinea fowl and other wild and captive birds, including ratites such ostriches, emus and rhea. For further information see the OIE website.

In Great Britain, isolated cases of this disease were first reported in the 1930s. From 1947 outbreaks occurred here over the next 30 years, and there were further isolated cases in 1984, 1996-7 and 2005. Information on previous outbreak statistics is available. This disease does however remain a problem world-wide.

Clinical signs

The clinical signs in affected birds can be very variable. The disease can be present in a very acute form with sudden onset and high mortality or as a mild disease with respiratory distress or a drop in egg production as the only detectable clinical signs. A sub-clinical (asymptomatic) form of Newcastle disease and many intermediate forms of the disease can also occur. The clinical signs include depression, lack of appetite, respiratory distress with beak gaping, coughing, sneezing, gurgling and rattling, yellowish green diarrhoea and nervous signs. In laying flocks a sudden drop in egg production with a high proportion of eggs laid with abnormal (soft) shells is often an early sign of disease. Young birds are particularly susceptible and mortality can be heavy, with survivors often exhibiting permanent nervous signs. Photos of disease clinical signs...

Post-mortem

When lesions are present they may include haemorrhages (minute blood spots) in the lining of the glandular stomach, gizzard, intestines, heart, inner surface of the chest wall, some skeletal muscles and air sacculitis/pericarditis.

Legislation

Animal Health Act 1981

The Animal Health Act 1981 provides powers for the control of outbreaks of AI and ND. It was amended in 2002 to provide more powers to deal with foot and mouth disease and these powers were extended by the Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease (England and Wales) Order in 2003 so that they are now exercisable in relation to AI and ND. The Act, as amended, provides for:

slaughter of diseased poultry, poultry suspected of disease, poultry exposed to disease and poultry which the Secretary of State thinks should be slaughtered to prevent the spread of disease.
payment of compensation for birds that are slaughtered but are not diseased.
publication of a slaughter protocol prior to exercising the power to impose a preventive or firebreak cull. Emergency vaccination would have to be considered prior to any cull, and, if not used, the reasons would have to be published.
veterinary inspectors to have powers to enter premises to ascertain whether disease anti-bodies exist, whether any animal is or was infected with disease and whether any causative agent of disease is present
publication of biosecurity guidance
preparation and review of a national contingency plan

The Diseases of Poultry (England) Order 2003

The Diseases of Poultry (England) Order 2003, made under the Animal Health Act 1981, Council Directive 92/66/EEC for the control of Newcastle disease. Its provisions include the following:

Notification of suspicion of r ND in poultry and other captive birds.
Imposition of movement controls on suspicion of disease.
Entry to premises for the purposes of veterinary inquiry.
Where disease is confirmed, the imposition of a Protection Zone (minimum 3km) and a Surveillance Zone (minimum 10km) around the infected premises by declaratory order.
Cleansing and disinfection of buildings used to house poultry, their surroundings, the vehicles used for transport and all equipment likely to be contaminated;
Powers to require, by publication of a notice, the vaccination of any species of poultry in any given area and for any given period.

The Diseases of Poultry Order also extends provisions for investigating premises and imposing movement restrictions to all diseases of birds and all species of birds.

The Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease (England and Wales) Order 2003 which extends to these two diseases new powers introduced by the Animal health Act 2002, allowing a preventative or firebreak cull of poultry, providing powers of entry to test and sample, and allowing the slaughter of vaccinated poultry, with compensation. The powers were sought as part of our Emergency Preparedness Programme in the light of increased concerns about the Spring 2003 outbreak of Avian Influenza in the Netherlands and Belgium and in advance of the autumn migratory season, given that these diseases could be introduced by waterfowl.

Council Directive 92/66/EEC introducing Community measures for the control of Newcastle disease.

Disease Control Strategy

The disease control strategy adopted will be consistent with the UK’s EU obligations and in line with the appropriate EU legislation. The Government’s objective in tackling ND will be to eradicate the disease and to restore the UK’s disease-free status as quickly as possible. In doing so, Government will seek to select control strategies which:

minimise the number of poultry which need to be slaughtered, either to control the disease or on welfare grounds, and which keeps poultry welfare problems to a minimum;
cause the least possible disruption to the food, farming and tourism industries, to visitors to the countryside, and to rural communities and the wider economy;
minimise damage to the environment and protecting public health; and
minimise the burden on taxpayers and the public at large.

The table below indicates the local veterinary action to be taken in relation to the level of suspicion.

Summary of initial action on suspect cases

Level	ND
0	All restrictions on premises lifted no further action.
1	Suspect birds left alive and observed. Samples submitted for laboratory diagnosis. Premises restrictions imposed.
2	Sick birds may be killed. Suspect flock left alive and observed. Samples submitted for laboratory diagnosis. Premises restrictions imposed.
3	All poultry on the premises are pre-emptively slaughtered. Samples submitted for laboratory diagnosis. Premises restrictions imposed. Area restrictions imposed.
4	Would not apply

Premises Controls

The following measures will be applied on confirmation of Newcastle disease:
(Note: The first case will be confirmed by the CVO following laboratory diagnosis)

Premises where disease has been confirmed are known as infected premises (IPs); birds that have been exposed to infection through contact with the infected premises are known as dangerous contacts (DCs).

All poultry on IPs will be culled. DCs will be identified. Where the risk of exposure to virus is high, the poultry will be culled and laboratory samples taken. Where the risk of exposure is assessed as not high, restrictions on the premises will be in place for 21 days and regular veterinary visits undertaken.
Movement restrictions will apply to the IP or high risk DC until all birds have been culled, and a veterinary inspector is satisfied that cleaning and disinfection has been completed.
Restrictions are applied and lifted by serving the occupier of the premises with notices, which explain the restrictions imposed and any licensing provisions.

Area Controls

The Diseases of Poultry (England) Order 2003 gives inspectors powers on suspicion of disease to impose movement controls on the suspected premises. However, once disease has been confirmed, area controls and restrictions are imposed by a Declaratory Order.

A Diseases of Poultry Declaratory Order can be made in respect of the area surrounding an IP. A Declaratory Order provides for the division of the Infected Area into protection and surveillance zones, the PZ being a minimum radius of three kilometres from the IP, and contained in a surveillance zone based on a minimum radius of ten kilometres from the IP. The Declaratory Order applies the provisions of Schedule 2 of the Diseases of Poultry Order to the infected area unless they are varied or excepted by the Declaratory Order.

The requirements of Schedule 2 are:

Protection Zones

For at least 21 days after the preliminary cleansing and disinfection of the IP required by paragraph 11 of Schedule 1 to the 2003 Order and thereafter until the Secretary of State declares the PZ to have become part of the surveillance zone, the occupier of premises containing poultry shall ensure that:

any inspector who requires information as to the presence of poultry on those premises is supplied with such information as soon as practicable;
any veterinary inspector who visits the premises to examine the poultry and take samples is given all necessary assistance and information;
the poultry are kept in their living quarters or such other place where they can be isolated;
there is an appropriate means of disinfection at the entrance and exits of the premises;
poultry and hatching eggs are not moved from the premises except under a licence issued by a veterinary inspector:
- for the purpose of transport for immediate slaughter to a designated slaughterhouse, or
- in the case of day old chicks or ready-to-lay pullets, to premises within the surveillance zone on which there are no other poultry, or
- in the case of hatching eggs to a designated hatchery, subject to the eggs and their packing being disinfected before dispatch; and used litter and poultry manure are not removed or spread.
The Order provides that no person shall:
- move any poultry, eggs or carcases within the zone, except that poultry may be transported without stopping through the zone on a major highway or railway.
- hold any fair, market, show or other gathering of poultry or other birds.

Surveillance Zones

The following restrictions apply within the SZ and l continue to apply for a period of at least 30 days after the preliminary cleansing and disinfection of the infected premises required by paragraph 11 of Schedule 1 to the 2003 Order and thereafter until the Secretary of State declares the restrictions to be lifted.

The occupier of premises must ensure that:

any inspector who requires information as to presence of poultry on those premises is supplied with such information as soon as practicable;
poultry are not moved from the premises out of the zone except under a licence issued by a veterinary inspector for the purpose of transport direct to a designated slaughterhouse outside the SZ;
hatching eggs are not moved from the premises out of the zone except under a licence issued by a veterinary inspector for the purpose of transport direct to a designated hatchery and subject to the eggs and their packing being disinfected before dispatch; and
used litter and poultry manure are not moved out of the zone.

The Order provides that no person shall:

move any poultry or hatching eggs into or within the zone except that poultry may be transported without stopping through the zone on a major highway or railway.
hold any fair, market, show or other gathering of poultry or other birds.

The owner of any vehicle used to convey poultry, poultry carcases, poultry offal, poultry feathers or eggs originating in an infected area, before it is so used, as soon as practicable after each time it is so used and in any event before it is so used again, must effectively clean and disinfect it.

Additional Controls

Export health certificates for live poultry and hatching eggs will be withdrawn. Consignments of live birds, day old chicks and if possible poultry meat exported during the risk period would be identified and authorities in the importing country notified.
Disposal of carcases and other poultry products (e.g. eggs) by incineration would be implemented immediately

Future Developments

Following the adoption of the new avian influenza Directive, we expect the Commission to review and update the Newcastle disease Directive along the same lines. If Ministers so decide, we may decide to pre-empt this change. New legislation is likely to provide for:

a Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) with local area movement restrictions on suspicion of disease on a premises.
a Restricted Zone (RZ) with movement restrictions covering part, or all of, England .
the ability to derogate from some measures as long as disease control is not threatened.
Closure of footpaths in the Protection Zone

Additional strategies could include

A cull of flocks in the immediate area (1km, 3km or possibly larger if necessary, to prevent the spread of disease)
If new legislation is not made, increasing the size of the infected area.

There is a Disease Control (Slaughter) Protocol for use in the event of a pre-emptive (or firebreak) cull. Information on Newcastle Disease Control (Slaughter) Policy.

This protocol sets out the requirements that must be followed if a pre-emptive cull is to be undertaken.

Further information on Outbreak Management.

Vaccination in the Event of an Outbreak of ND

There is provision in the Diseases of Poultry (England) Order 2003 for the imposition of a compulsory vaccination zone. There is vaccine available with a marketing authorisation in England and is freely available for use.

Vaccination Area

Vaccination will be considered as a control measure in an outbreak of NDV. The decision to implement compulsory vaccination will depend on factors such as the density of poultry farms in the area.

Vaccination as a Control Measure

There are two types of ND vaccine available: inactivated vaccines, in which the viral component is killed, and live vaccines. Live vaccines can be delivered through spray, aerosolisation, drinking water or direct inoculation. This means that they can be delivered to a large number of birds relatively quickly and effectively. Inactivated vaccines may only be delivered by direct inoculation, which would be impractical on a large scale.

Current vaccines protect birds against clinical disease caused by NDV, but do not protect against infection. Infected vaccinated birds will excrete the virus, but in relatively small amount, and will remain apparently healthy.

Contingency planning

Defra's revised Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases was laid before Parliament on 13 December 2007. The plan covers arrangements for dealing with a range of exotic animal diseases, including Foot and Mouth Disease, Avian Influenza and, for the first time, Rabies and Bluetongue. Further information...

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