Virulent Newcastle Disease quarantine lifted in Southern California

CALIFORNIA — The California Department of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have announced an end to the Virulent Newcastle Disease (VND) quarantine in Southern California. 

Officials said “extensive testing of the regulated area has been completed, with no additional detections of the disease. This allows poultry to again move freely within California.”

VND was first detected in May of 2018 in Los Angeles County. By December 2018 the virus had spread extensively in backyard poultry in the LA Basin and also infected commercial flocks. 

All backyard poultry owners and commercial operations are encouraged to practice biosecurity measures to help prevent the introduction of disease when people enter or depart the premises, to routinely check birds for signs of illness, and to report any incidence of suspected VND or other bird diseases.

More information is available at www.cdfa.ca.gov or through the California Avian Health Education Network at (866) 922-2473.