NSW: Fatal Newcastle disease found at three more properties

AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-1999
NSW: Fatal Newcastle disease found at three more properties

SYDNEY, April 17 AAP - Up to 280,000 birds will be destroyed because of fresh outbreaks of
the fatal poultry Newcastle disease have been discovered at farms on the Central Coast, NSW
Agriculture said today.

NSW Agriculture chief veterinary officer Dr Dick Jane said the highly contagious and deadly
viral disease was discovered at three poultry farms in the Mangrove Mountain area.

The discovery came less than a week after a nearby pullet rearing farm was decontaminated
after the disease was found on it.

NSW Agriculture has suspended the movement of all poultry from the area for at least three
days and is reinforcing its exotic disease control operations.

"The new outbreaks are all within a few kilometres of the original pullet rearing
enterprise," Dr Jane said.

"The three new infected farms are all broiler enterprises and depopulation will mean that
280,000 birds will have to be humanely destroyed and disposed of safely," he said.

Dr Jane said the first birds would be destroyed either tonight or early tomorrow morning.

AAP km/cjh

KEYWORD: NEWCASTLE

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