Abstract
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The February, 1977 Newcastle Story is by now, very familiar history to us all. We've experienced the tragedy, we've seen the pictures, we've even taken the government to court. Those of us who were not terrified by it obviously were not paying close enough attention. But certain issues remain and will be discussed for months to come. Certain questions remain unanswered, some of them quite simple, on the surface, and seemingly quite easy to answer. For example, "What conclusions were reached after six months of investigation regarding the source of the infection last February? Who, in the end, was responsible?"
This is the question I pursued in Washington, D.C. in August. I talked to some of the highest level officials in U.S.D.A., Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. They could not answer that question. Not that they lack data or evidence. but the implications of answering that question are enormous. The question is really somewhat longer than "Who was responsible." It should read: "Who was responsible for the death of over 13 ,000 birds, the destruction of lifetimes of careful breeding, the end of the love a person had for their pet of 20 years, the emotional trauma of watching a part of someone's life killed, the horror of knowing the damage is irreversible, the snuffing out of endangered and irreplaceable birds, the end of a business venture always dreamed about and finally realized, and the cost of $1,500,000 to the taxpayer," and on and on. It is a very "heavy" question. Would you answer it?
The APHIS officials declined to answer the question on the grounds that the origin of the infection may not have been any of the locations from which the positive virus isolates were taken. This is to say that the sick birds were most likely smuggled into the country and found their way to locations and people who could be innocent of any wrong doing. Since there is no proof of anyone connected with the sick birds being involved with the illegal entry of those sick birds, the responsibility for the infection cannot be placed on the head of anyone or any group of people. For a government official to make a public statement to the contrary would open the door to law suits for libel, defamation of character, and who knows what else by any named persons or businesses.
This forces the most sincere, honest, and well informed, officials into using our local Washington, D.C. dialect, "Government-ese." While the objective of this language is to say nothing, some government officials can use it in ways that communicate information without it being damaging to themselves, and others. In our case, for example, one high ranking official in APHIS pointed out that "the epidemiological studies are clear and are a matter of public record." Here is that record:
]-Exotic Newcastle Disease (VVND) was isolated and confirmed by laboratory tests in birds coming from the following premises:
a) Yanik's Rainbow Aviaries, Char-
lotte Courthouse, Virginia.
b) The Hinkle Farm, Alpine, Calif.
c) Basically Birds, Alpine, Calif.
d) The Russell Cran or property, Spring Valley, Calif.
e) Bronze Wing Aviaries, Colton, Calif.
f) A private aviary in Florida ( unnamed due to the circumstance that the infected bird, a cockatoo, came directly from one of the above dealers.
2-The virus isolates from Rainbow Aviaries, Basically Birds, The Hinkle Farm, and the Cranor property, were a "hot" VVND virus. The Bronze Wing virus was less virulent, and therefore, could possibly be of different origin than the others.
3-The infected parrolets at Rainbow Aviaries were shipped from California to Mr. Yanik in Virginia.
4-There is nothing in the record to indicate the source of infected birds at Basically Birds.
5-Mr. Hinkle received birds from Basically Birds during this same period.
6-The Cranor property is adjacent to an unnamed property from which a chicken with VVND strayed. (See March 2 J below.)
Below is a chronology of events as they unfolded beginning February 17, 1977. It has been compiled for the A.F.A. by persons who must remain nameless. The sources are mainly U.S.D.A. news releases and memos. Verbal reports at meetings that were not tape recorded have not been used. Th.is represents the most complete record available at this time. There is some indication that APHIS, itself, will issue a "full report" at some later date, but until then, the following may be used for reference.