The vND outbreak shows no signs of letting up. We now have 3 commercial chicken ranches in Southern California that have been depopulated. This week, our State Veterinarian – Dr. Annette Jones – released the following relative to upcoming poultry shows (and other live bird events):
To support our disease containment and eradication efforts, the California State Veterinarian is recommending that all poultry exhibitions that include birds from high-risk counties (Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura) be cancelled.
The full document is available at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/pdfs/RecommendCancellationPoultryExhibitions.pdf
A description of the Quarantine Areas is available at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/Newcastle_Disease_Info.html
The outbreak is extremely serious. While we will all miss exhibiting at our favorite winter shows, the health of all California’s poultry should be our priority.
Dr. Francine Bradley