Virulent Newcastle Disease or VND, Lots of Anguish, Little Solutions Offered

[DragonParadigm]

Isn’t this disease spread in many different forms?
Can be carried airborne or on a persons clothing for example.

Doesn’t the majority of the population consume eggs?
It can be spread on eggs and yet we have them in our grocery stores.

“Exhibition birds” is a fancy term for fighting birds, unfortunately.
“Backyard birds” is another fancy term for fighting birds, also unfortunate.

 

[IamRainey]

Aunt Angus, take heart that you're not in any of the quarantine or contamination zones and what we're going through is an effort on the state's, the USDA's and responsible owners' part to KEEP YOUR AREA SAFE. That's the paramount thing!

If and when -- we all hope to god it doesn't get that far -- CDFA has instructions on safely and humanely euthanizing if you need it. I think they call it cervical displacement or something. It doesn't include any blood or other fluids being discharged. I also plan, should the virus make it to my area of Los Angeles County, to use it myself to spare my birds a chaotic and potentially more traumatic end. The instructions are illustrated on the CDFA site.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

indeed!

Don't know where you're starting with the whole vND issue but there actually is some info here and there's more on this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...bird-quarantine.1293980/page-57#post-21317742

One of the probs is that folks have bits of info and the whole enchilada is hard to come by and also sometimes so technical that some of us have trouble understanding it or appreciating the nuances it introduces. Then too, info, even from official sources, changes. Like there was one point at which CDFA (CA Dept. of Food & Agriculture) was saying it was transmitted by wild birds and more recently they're saying not...

CA has mostly been struggling through this alone for the bulk of a year. The USDA has weighed in with info and moral support but only came up with funds more recently. And I suspect CDFA may not be equipped to deal with a growing concern that requires a LOT more boots on the ground than they've been staffed with. The federal funds have made more staffing possible recently but many of those folks aren't seasoned in dealing with stringent biosecurity protocols.

And, finally, to make matters worse, there is a contingent who have had chickens euthanized by order of CDFA and have whipped up highly emotional responses and fears that are resistant to actual facts and unsympathetic to the larger effort to protect the health and safety of birds in uncontaminated areas throughout a very large state.

Meanwhile -- and I guess this should have been first -- welcome to the awkward Thanksgiving dinner and let us know what we should pass in your direction!

So far no reports that Ive heard of it spreading to my area. Thank goodness. I like to stay informed though. Please pass the potatoes.

 

[IamRainey]

Isn’t this disease spread in many different forms?
Can be carried airborne or on a persons clothing for example.

There are different strains of the disease. Tracing the specific profiles of the virus in contaminated birds is how they can map out which birds have infected others.

As to how it is spread, best to go to the official sources for that because the more it gets discussed here the more confused I get...

Doesn’t the majority of the population consume eggs?
It can be spread on eggs and yet we have them in our grocery stores.

Sure, but the eggs of contaminated flocks are collected and safely disposed of and don't end up in retail. Meanwhile, CDFA says that humans ONLY RARELY pick up the virus and, when they do, the reactions are akin to conjunctivitis or pink eye. They also say that humans can safely consume both eggs and meat carrying the virus. Nevertheless, they're doing their best to contain and isolate all that.

“Exhibition birds” is a fancy term for fighting birds, unfortunately.
“Backyard birds” is another fancy term for fighting birds, also unfortunate.

Yup. It all gets lumped together adding to the confusion and difficulty in pinpointing which birds are actually problems. Because, at least here at BYC and in my suburban Los Angeles neighborhood, "backyard birds" means companion animals who generously give us breakfast, funny photos and sometime a bit of heartache. And those %$%$# who fight birds and move and hide sick birds, knowingly or unknowingly, are possibly the biggest part of the problem and will continue to be because they don't give a ____ about the rest of us and are damned good at being elusive.

 

[DragonParadigm]

There are different strains of the disease. Tracing the specific profiles of the virus in contaminated birds is how they can map out which birds have infected others.

As to how it is spread, best to go to the official sources for that because the more it gets discussed here the more confused I get...



Sure, but the eggs of contaminated flocks are collected and safely disposed of and don't end up in retail. Meanwhile, CDFA says that humans ONLY RARELY pick up the virus and, when they do, the reactions are akin to conjunctivitis or pink eye. They also say that humans can safely consume both eggs and meat carrying the virus. Nevertheless, they're doing their best to contain and isolate all that.



Yup. It all gets lumped together adding to the confusion and difficulty in pinpointing which birds are actually problems. And those %$%$# who fight birds and move and hide sick birds, knowingly or unknowingly, are possibly the biggest part of the problem and will continue to be because they don't give a ____ about the rest of us.

I was just on the cdc site and read up on all this.
On another note, I just find it funny when others take any opportunity to make this or any other subject personal.

 

[IamRainey]

AMEN, Aunt Angus!

I've had to tell fellow local backyard hobbyists about the quarantine and encourage them to get their birds contained. I've also had to tell a number of local teachers who go looking for eggs they can hatch as part of a lesson plan that they shouldn't be taking eggs from anyone right now.

But who -- but us -- monitors what the CDFA has to say about anything? I think you're correct that it's a very small part of the population who has any idea this is going on.

I hadn't considered the language issue. I know CDFA publishes their website and videos in both English and Spanish but, you're right, that's simply not enough!

 

[Animalfisherwoman]

Isn’t this disease spread in many different forms?
Can be carried airborne or on a persons clothing for example.

Doesn’t the majority of the population consume eggs?
It can be spread on eggs and yet we have them in our grocery stores.

“Exhibition birds” is a fancy term for fighting birds, unfortunately.
“Backyard birds” is another fancy term for fighting birds, also unfortunate.

There are many different forms of Newcastle, classified in how harmful they are. Lentogenic is the least harmful, and it is what is used to vaccinate chickens. VND represents strains that are most harmful. The 2018 strain in particular shows resistence to vaccine.

Commercial producers take measures such as pasturization, uv, washing and so on to avoid fecal shell contamination. But, survivability of VND in eggs is yet another thing the government hasn't bothered to release research about.

The government is going around with a SWAT LEO response to people's houses unannounced. To support a response like that, they need to support their decisions with facts. Quant/qual studies. Infection maps with numbers instead of a scale of "more infections" to "less infections."

It's said that they're doing this so people don't panic. Quit treating adults like that. Just give the facts.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I've had to tell fellow local backyard hobbyists

They're not hobbyists; they're private chicken owners. That's like calling private car owners hobbyists because they are not commercial.

 

[Animalfisherwoman]

This is what I mean. People will still panic, but it will be a lot fewer people if they would give the facts, and give CONSISTENT facts.

I wish they'd let you slam the like button a dozen times. This is exactly what I mean.

 

[Animalfisherwoman]

So far no reports that Ive heard of it spreading to my area. Thank goodness. I like to stay informed though. Please pass the potatoes.

You've got the same governor if you're anywhere in Cali. If you're not, count that as a benefit;-)