Abstract
EDITOR'S NOTE: Please do not dismiss the fallowing article as long-winded political smoke. Dr. Baer 's report contains data that is extremely crucial. Understanding it thoroughly will determine what action the A.FA. i.e., all of you in concert, will take. To ignore the activities of the government is to roll over in defeat by default. One of the primary purposes of the A.FA. is to inform aviculturists regarding governmental attitudes toward aviculture. Read and understand. It is your responsibility to the rest of us.
Richard E. Baer, D. VM.
Proposals were made and changes were announced at the last annual meeting of the United States Animal Health Association in October, 1983, which directly affect aviculturists and should be of concern to them:
1. A recommendation was adopted that ALL velogenic Newcastle diseases without differentiation be considered exotic to the USA and eradicated.
2. A report was made on research being conducted by the State of California on contraband exotic birds which calls for reconsideration of the whole smuggling problem. It also devaluated the danger of VVND smuggled birds to the poultry industry.
3. It was announced by the Center of Disease Control (U.S. Public Health) that their requirement for the antibiotic treatment of exotic birds imported into this country to control psitticosis would be dropped and
4. A report was given on the progress of the proposed National Cage and Aviary Bird Improvement Plan (NCABIP or Model State Program for Pet Birds).
The recommendation that ail velogenic ewcastle diseases, both VVND and VND, be considered exotic to the USA and eradicated, if detected, is based on the premises that:
1. Existing evidence suggests that velogenic types of Newcastle disease virus, whether viserotropic (VVND) or non-viserotropic (VND) are not enzootic in domestic poultry in the United States.
2. Velogenic non-viserotropic Newcastle Disease (VND) may be as destructive as VVND if introduced into domestic poultry and cage and aviary birds, and,
3. The present regulations which restrict action to VVND can delay depopulation (sic. of exotic birds) or other appropriate action when VND types of virus are isolated and this may increase the risk of spread and cause embarrassment to regulatory agencies.
Based on the above it was recommended that
1. Birds or populations of birds known to harbor ANY Newcastle disease virus that produces lethal infection in chickens should not be imported into the United States.
2. The feasibility of classifying all velogenic Newcastle diseases as exotic diseases should be assessed. Assessment should include identification of possible remaining foci or velogenic NDV infection in domestic poultry, and estimation of eradication costs. If economically feasible ALL velogenic NDV should be considered exotic to the USA and eradicated if detected.
Since it is believed that velogenic types of Newcastle disease viruses are not enzootic to domestic poultry in the USA. the proposed regulation change would primarily be a control measure directed at cage and aviary birds to prevent possible disease spread of VND to poultry.
The use of All VND infections as criteria for the depopulation of birds will result in the destruction of many more birds than are now destroyed for VVND, especially if the present control measures of killing all exposed as well as infected birds are still followed.
While there may be no quarrel with the prohibition of the importation into this country of birds or populations of birds known to harbor any Newcastle disease virus that is destructive to domestic poultry or cage and aviary birds, nor with the extermination of VND KNOWN infected birds; the necessity for the killing of perhaps hundreds or thousands of additional birds because of exposure now to VND can be questioned.
The latter measure is unnecessary, overly costly and wasteful. This is consistent with the findings of the research report on smuggling which points out that no significant interface exists between cage and aviary birds and poultry populations.
It should be brought to notice, too, that for VND to be used as a criterium for eradication, it must FIRST be found to be an exotic disease in this country; and ONCE SO CLASSIFIED, the eradication measures must be applied equally to AU avian species including poultry. This could very well result in the complete destruction of large poultry operations once infection is found.
Until such time that all VND is recognized as an exotic disease in this country, it cannot legally be used as a criterium to destroy cage and aviary birds.
Consideration of the report on the smuggling of birds into California and the facts it brings out warrants a complete reappraisal of not only how VVND control should be carried out in cage and aviary birds, but also, on how such birds should be imported.
In another presentation at the annual meeting it was reported that some 803,000 birds were legally imported into the United States in fy. 1983. The smuggling report estimated that over 500,000 birds came into this country illegally during that same period of time and that of this numer approximately 1 % were infected with VVND. This would mean that approximately 5,000 VVND infected or carrier birds entered the country during fy. 1983. Yet, in 1983 there were no reported outbreaks of exotic Newcastle Disease (VVND) in commercial poultry flocks. Nor were there any in 1982, 1981, 1980, 1979, or 1978. In fact there has been no reported outbreak of VVND in commercial poultry flocks SINCE 1972.
With no outbreak of VVND in poultry for more than ten years in spite of the estimated illegal entrance of thousands of VVND infected or carrier birds each year over this more than ten year period, it appears that there must be very little, if any, interfacing between poultry flocks and these infected or carrier birds.