Newcastle disease is a reportable disease
Newcastle disease is a zoonotic disease.
It is recommended that if you handle sick or dead birds you use appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE).
The presence or suspicion of Newcastle disease in birds must be reported in WA.
Newcastle disease is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic poultry, cage and aviary birds and, wild birds caused by certain strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1. It is particularly contagious and harmful to poultry, especially chickens. There are many different strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1. Avian paramyxovirus type 1 and Newcastle disease virus are not always synonymous and infection with Newcastle disease virus does not always result in a diagnosis of Newcastle disease for the purposes of emergency animal disease reporting and response.
Low pathogenicity strains of Newcastle disease virus (non-virulent) have been circulating in Australian wild birds and poultry since at least the 1960s. There is the potential for low pathogenicity strains of Newcastle disease virus (non-virulent) to mutate and become more pathogenic especially in poultry flocks. Outbreaks of virulent Newcastle disease occurred in poultry in 1998-2002 in eastern Australia and were costly and difficult to control. These outbreaks were due to locally derived strains mutating and becoming more pathogenic. In response, the poultry industry and state and commonwealth governments established the National Newcastle Disease Management Plan, which is reviewed regularly.
Highly virulent strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1 which cause Newcastle disease (virulent) are exotic to Australia and are much more harmful and transmissible than Australian low pathogenicity strains. The OIE has a very specific definition of Newcastle disease (virulent) based on the infection occurring in poultry and meeting one or more specific virulence criteria.
Australia is currently free from virulent Newcastle disease. However, all strains of Newcastle disease (virulent and non-virulent) are reportable in Western Australia.
Long-life chickens (layers and breeders) in flocks of more than 1,000 birds must be vaccinated against Newcastle disease in accordance with the Code of Practice: Managing the risk of Newcastle Disease in WA. Appropriate vaccination records must be maintained.
Vaccination in meat chickens is not compulsory unless they will be kept for longer than 24 weeks of age. 'Meat chicken’ means any chicken grown for consumption as meat and includes broilers, off-sex layers and free-range meat chickens.
While it is not compulsory, owners of fewer than 1,000 chickens are encouraged to vaccinate their birds.
There is no treatment for Newcastle disease.
Related information
Signs of Newcastle disease are extremely variable depending on the strain and other factors, such as age, general health and immune status of the birds. Signs may range from no obvious signs of disease to a rapidly fatal condition. Typically, signs of disease involve the respiratory, nervous and gastrointestinal systems, and may include the following:
Highly virulent exotic (overseas) strains:
- depression
- reduced food or water intake
- weakness
- sudden drop in egg production and abnormal eggs
- coughing, sneezing and difficulty breathing
- diarrhoea
- dark, thickened combs and wattles, discharge from eyes
- loss of balance, spasms, circling, convulsions or paralysis of the wings or legs
- sudden death
Australian strains of Newcastle disease virus (non-virulent) have similar signs as above but are less severe and have a lower death rate.
Some endemic diseases such as acute fowl cholera (pasteurellosis) and other respiratory disease complex disorders such as infectious bronchitis, can present similarly to Newcastle disease.
Reportable diseases such as avian influenza can also present similarly to Newcastle disease
Wild birds are the natural reservoir for the viruses that cause Newcastle disease. Infected birds spread the virus through their faeces, eye and nasal discharge, and expired air.
Domestic birds can become infected with Newcastle disease by:
- direct contact with an infected bird
- contamination of water or food by infected birds
- contact with people, equipment, vehicles, shoes or clothing contaminated by infected birds.
There is no risk to human health from eating poultry or poultry products. Person to person transmission of Newcastle disease has not been reported.
As well as meeting vaccination requirements, poultry and backyard chicken owners should implement good biosecurity practices to reduce the contact between poultry, their feed, water and housing environment with wild birds. These biosecurity practices should include, but are not limited to:
- use of sheltered feed and water containers to keep wild birds away from your poultry’s feed and water
- preventing poultry accessing water sources used by wild birds
- sanitising river or dam water used for poultry as wild birds can contaminate this water. See the National water biosecurity poultry production manual for details
- ensuring drainage in the poultry enclosure prevents pooling of water
- correctly using and removing personal protective equipment when handling poultry or other birds
- keeping a record of visitors
- limiting access to poultry areas, provide a footbath or clean footwear for use by visitors
- not allowing overseas visitors to have contact with poultry for a week after returning
- inspecting poultry daily and isolate birds at the first signs of disease
- regularly cleaning and disinfecting poultry feed and water containers, floors, walls and netting, equipment and carrying containers
- recording and reporting unusual deaths, decreased production or unusual diseases to your veterinarian
- quarantining new birds for a minimum of 30 days
- registering as an owner of livestock with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). This is a requirement if you have 50 or more individuals of any combination of chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, quail, guinea fowl, pigeons or game birds.
How to report Newcastle disease
If you suspect Newcastle disease, see signs of disease or death consistent with Newcastle disease in your flock, you must report it. There are 3 ways you can do this.
Human infection with Newcastle disease is uncommon. People infected with the virus may experience headaches, flu-like symptoms, and conjunctivitis, which is usually mild and persists for 1-2 days.
Newcastle disease exclusion testing must be done if the following criteria are met in poultry:
Layers and breeders
- a 10% drop in egg production and/or
- the appearance of unexpected shell colour or shell-less eggs in 5% or more of the eggs over 2-3 day period and/or
- mortality of 0.5% per day or more for 3 or more days in any shed and/or
- any nervous or respiratory disease signs.
Broilers
- mortality (not including culling) of 0.5% per day or more, for 3 days or more after the first week of placement and/or
- respiratory signs lasting more than 2 days and/or
- nervous signs regardless of the duration.