THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it has imposed a temporary ban on the entry of bird products from Southern California after a form of Newcastle disease was confirmed there.
In a memorandum order dated July 9, the DA said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed the presence of the disease in the region.
The DA in the order said that the ban, which covers domestic poultry and game fowl, was issued “to prevent the entry of Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) to protect the health of the local poultry population.”
The ban also includes an immediate suspension of the processing and evaluation of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported the confirmation of vND affecting backyard chickens in Southern California.
Since May, the USDA has found 66 confirmed cases of vND in poultry, mostly in San Bernardino County. Other cases were found in Riverside County and Los Angeles County.
According to the agency, the disease, which affects the digestive, nervous and respiratory systems of the bird, “is so virulent that many birds and poultry die without showing any clinical signs.”
APHIS, however, said that the vND does not pose any safety issue with humans eating the infected poultry so long as it is cooked properly. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
